Ask the average person what catergory of music The Offspring fall under, and most will tell you Punk. That's fine by me. Does that mean that every sone they put out has have the hardcore sound like every song on Smash or Ignition? I sure don't hope so. Bands change and evolve with time, and so does their music. It would get mighty boring listening to the same album with a different title over and over. While I still enjoy a kick ass punk jam (Da Hui, Lightning Rod, etc..) that doesn't necessarily I don't appreciate the clever creativeness of Worst Hangover and Spare Me The Details. If people wouldn't be so quick to judge the music or throw it into a specific catergory, perhaps they would see that a band doesn't have to necessarily fit firmly into a particular mold (ie Punk, Rock, Country, etc..) to make good music.

Overall, I think the Offspring have created a winner with Splinter. Maybe even one of their best yet. If you are a fan of the Offspring, I highly recommend this CD. Just remember to listen to it objectively, and perhaps you will enjoy it for what it really is, great music. Even if it doesn't fit a particular mold.


3.5 stars, actually- solid but somewhat disappointing album   November 12, 2004
T. Tiraterra (Davis, CA)
24 out of 29 found this review helpful

One of the things that's disappointed me the most about Offspring lately is their lack of output. In the last six years, they've only made two albums, both of which could have been combined into a single one because they were so short. My biggest beef with "Splinter" is that I don't like waiting three years and then spending $16 on an album (and that was on sale) to get just 32 minutes of material. "Splinter" is a good album, but there's just not nearly enough of it.

There are several standouts on "Splinter" and no real bad songs. One thing I like about Offspring is that they realize (unlike Blink 182) that they're not supposed to be making serious music. Sure, they've had depressing songs before, but they also never let the fun leave their albums. The only real angry song on here is the opener "Neocon", which I loved because I feel that same anger towards George Bush. The single best song is "The Worst Hangover Ever", which is so catchy that I find myself singing it constantly. Other good ones include "The Noose", "Race Against Myself", "Spare Me the Details", and "Da Hui". Many people were upset with "When You're In Prison", but I found it to be hilarious (although it could have been a hidden track).

Which brings us to "Splinter"'s #1 problem, and that's its length. Some people may not be bothered by this, but in the age of downloading I want to know I'm getting my money's worth when I actually buy an album. If you get it for $16, then "Splinter" charges you 50 cents per minute of listening, and that's including "When You're In Prison". By contrast, if you get an album by Pearl Jam (my favorite band) on sale, you may pay less than 25 cents per minute. "Splinter"'s brevity makes it feel rushed and unfinished, and makes me say that you may be better off trying to download it. You can't tell me that after years of work, the best you could give me was 30 minutes of only 11 tracks.

Offspring made a somewhat good album with "Splinter", but it just feels like it could have been much more. Buy it if you want to complete your Offspring collection (as I did), but if not then you're probably better off downloading it. After all, Offpsring's one of the few bands that doesn not condemn that.


A totally decent Offspring record   September 27, 2004
Alan Pounds (Minneapolis, MN)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

The Offspring returns with their same sense of lively, swaggering, and energetic brand of punk revival that made them who they are today. They muscle their way through a 30 minute album that will leave longtime fans drooling at the mouth for more.

Coming off of the surprisingly underrated "Conspiracy Of One", an MTV and radio flop, "Splinter" returns with something that casual fans and hardcore fans will enjoy alike. Whether it's the radio single "Hit That", the punk/ska hilarity of "The Worst Hangover Ever", or the classic story telling of "Spare Me the Details" on the poppier end of things, to the harder more metal side, belting out songs like "Long Way Home", "Lightning Rod" and "Da Hui". They close the album out nicely with "When You're in Prison", a 1930s style tale of watching your back in the big house, complete with the fake crackling of the record in the background. It's a beautifully produced album with a bit of nostalgia thrown in to the mid-nineties fueled punk sound.

Critics will be hard on The Offspring for their brand of sophomoric humor that they refuse to give up. But this will be irrelevant to longtime fans. They will be happier than anyone about "Splinter".


Almost 20 years and STILL awesome!!   December 16, 2003
M. Burgstaller (San Diego, CA United States)
13 out of 16 found this review helpful

How do these guys do it!? after almost 20 years they make possibly their best CD ever, either this or Ixnay is the best! And the crtic reviews arent as bad as people say, they are all 3/5 or a "B", those arent bad even tho this CD deserves way more. Only a band like the Offspring can make great music after this long while changing their style but holding on to their roots.

1. Neocon (N/A) - This is really an intro, but its almost a song and its really good, I never skip it.

2. The Noose (10/10) - This is a great song, very catchy and unique, sounds alot like an older AFI song actually. You might have heard the intro on Monday Night Football

3. Long Way Home (10/10) - This features Jim from Pennywise in it, its very cool, sounds kinda like Pennywise too.

4. Hit That (9/10) - This is a great song for a radio single

5. Race Against Myself (9/10) - Alot like "Gone Away" or "Amazed" from Ixnay but w/ a twist, its great.

6. (Cant Get My) Head Around You (10/10) - Probably my favorite, this will be the 2nd single. Its awesome, loud, fast, and powerful.

7. Worst Hangover Ever (8/10) - A cool catchy ska song

8. Never Gonna Find Me (8/10) - A cool punk song, sounds like Pennywise kinda, a very cool ending.

9. Lightning Rod (10/10) - Maybe my favorite. Wow. This had to grow on me a little but I love it now, a unique punk song with a big twist.

10. Spare Me The Details (10/10) - This is an awesome acoustic song, the most different thing Offspring have ever done, sounds a little like Green Day

11. Da Hui (10/10) - Fast, ripping, short, awesome!

Conclusion: This could possibly be their best CD ever, and thats saying ALOT


AWESOME CD FROM THE OFFSPRING! (well, what did you expect)   February 21, 2004
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is probably the offsprings best cd ever. The only complaint I have is that the album is too short. They could have added 1 or 2 more songs. Anyway, the songs they did take the time to write were all awesome! Here is a list of the songs with a rating from 1 to 10.
1. neocon-10 the best intro ever, actually music! gets you pumped!
2. The noose-10 probably the best song on the cd
3. long way home-9.5 another great song
4. hit that-8 good song, its different but still good,
5. race against myself-10 slower and sadder, amazing song
6. cant get my head around you-10 really fast and awesome
7. worst hangover ever-8 really funny,also a different style, still good
8. never gonna find me-10 amazing
9. lightning rod-10 the album keeps getting better! awesome lyrics and guitars
10. spare me the details-8 another funny song, offspring goes acoustic!
11. Da hui-9.5 super fast, super awesome, but could have been longer...
12. when your in prison-umm...no rating... really funny the first time but after that it is like listening to opera music