I've always been a fan of 311's, especially after seeing them live several times, but their last two albums cooled my interest a little. "Soundsystem", released two years ago, had a handful of amazing tracks but was overproduced and a little draggy. "Transistor", meanwhile, remains this band's only true dud -- it's so agonizingly overlong and miscalculated that it's nearly impossible to listen to all the way through, and it's a shame because there's a killer EP buried in there somewhere. I wondered if 311 were ever going to get their groove back.

They have. "From Chaos" is a return to form in every way -- heavy without being overbearing, fast without being tuneless, experimental without being overindulgent. A large amount of credit for this has to go to the legendary Ron Saint Germain, who produced the self-titled album and works similar magic here. But that wouldn't mean much if the band didn't bring the noise, and they deliver. Fans everwhere will flash a huge grin at the moment they hear "Sick Tight", which wraps huge riffing around killer vocal melodies from Nick Hexum and S.A. Martinez, resulting in one of their best songs since "Down". Several great songs follow, like "I Told Myself" (which explodes with melody), "Amber", and "Hostile Apostle". The experimentation from the last two albums has been toned down, but it's still present; "Uncalm", for instance, is an interesting stab at dancehall. The whole thing clocks in at a tight, fierce 40 minutes with little to no filler. Nice.

There's a few things that kept me from a five star rating, though. For one, 311 are starting to sound too much like themselves -- some of the riffs are recycled from older albums, as are some lyrics, and you have to wonder how long they can keep doing this before it gets ridiculous. The album also doesn't have quite as powerful a sonic punch as the last two, and it sounds a little flat at times. And lastly, while Hexum and Martinez are great singers, why do they keep coating their voices in layers and layers of reverb? It's getting a tad old. You guys can sing, so just sing!

But these are small complaints. Bottom line: 311 are back, and they want you to come along. This thing is tailor-made for fans who got on board from the beginning, with "Music" and "Grassroots", which will probably always be their best work. They've had to sit back and watch other bands profit from the sound they revolutionized for years, and they've taken that anger and infused it into their music, giving it back the precious rawness and ferocity sadly missing from the last two records. Support 311, because at this point in their career, they're doing what they do mostly because of you, the fans. Give them a reason to keep on doing it.


"From Chaos" Brings Clarity   July 21, 2001
Dante (Hillsborough, NJ)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

The first time I listened to this album, I thought the boys of 311 may have started slipping. While a few tracks stood out as great right away, some of the others left me wondering. But as I listened to it again, I found myself unable to remove it from my CD player. After the third listen, I realized 311 had released what could be their best album thus far. Who could resist bobbing their head to "You Get Worked", the opening track? The second song, "Sick Tight", not only rocks, but conveys a level of confidence and awareness that many bands could learn from. Having seen these guys play live, I was especially touched by the lyrics, "We keep an eye for each other, then again, our known associates endure. We keep a sick tight connection when we see our true people on tour." The body rocking continues from there in a non-stop assault on the listener's funky-bone. My favorites include "From Chaos", "Full Ride", "I Told Myself", and "Amber". These guys know how to be heavy, as well has how to be sweet. "Uncalm" proves that a love song doesn't have to be cheesy to be romantic, while "Hostile Apostle" addresses the increasing trend of hard-core bands that equate pessimism with hard rock. All in all, I think this is an outstanding album. Once you buy it, you won't be able to stop listening.


the 311 we know and love   August 20, 2001
T. R. Jackson (Durham, NC USA)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

Nebraska natives 311, pioneers of the rap-rock fusion sound that swept the country not too long ago, are back with their 6th album, entitled From Chaos. After ruling the airwaves back in '95-'96, with hits like "Down" and "All Mixed Up," 311 slipped back into the shadows for a few years. Since then, they've released two decent albums, sued their record company for lack of promotion, and signed with a new label.

From Chaos is not a huge departure for 311, but it does show signs of the band's maturity. Like 311's five previous albums, From Chaos is fueled by thick, distorted guitars, crashing drums, and irresistible hooks. Tracks like "You Wouldn't Believe" and "I Told Myself" continue in the tradition of hard, catchy 311 tunes with sweet melodies and positive lyrics. In addition, From Chaos showcases some calmer songs, like "Amber," which give this album balance that some of their earlier efforts lacked.

311 has never been known for creating musical masterpieces. The boys from Nebraska just want to play hard, fun music, and spread some good vibes with their lyrics. From Chaos achieves this goal, and shows that they're still the best at what they do. They may not be the band that saves rock, but 311 proves with their latest release that the genre is still alive and kicking.


Not their best, not their worst...   June 3, 2002
Rex Marksmanson (Long Island, New York)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

When I first listened to "From Chaos" I didn't really like it, I almost felt like 311 had become junk as a band. But I decided to give it another chance, and another listen. I guess this is one of those albums where you devolp an ear for it after a few listens, because I felt like this was a totally different album.

While it's true this is no "Transistor" or "311", it is still up to par with what 311 has to offer. The ska/reggae like feel is very present on "From Chaos" especially on tracks like "Amber" and "I'll be here awhile". Ska and punk influenced guitar work, accompanied by some funky bass really makes this an ear catcher.

I'm honestly running out of things to say, so I'll cut this review a bit short. Basically fans of 311 don't miss out on this one it's a stellar album. As other reviewers and I have said, give this one a few listens before making your final decision.

A good 311 album, could of been better, but then again not many artists can match up to their earlier albums.


Critics!?!   February 25, 2003
Tijs Limburg (Salt Lake City, UT)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

It seems to me critics cannot be trusted very often these days when it comes to music. They'll dissapoint you either way. You'll find a review that raves so loud that you buy the CD only to be extremely dissapointed, or their "critique" fails miserably to understand the music you want to hear. Critics want more and more bands to go mainstream! What gives? It makes you wonder if they ever listen to the radio these days or the mainstream bands they rave about. Are we all to become slaves ot the cloners of music they call "must hear bands"? After all, I thought the syle and meaning of 311 music was to avoid anything and everything to do with mainstream. Can you imagine what would have happened if James Brown, Little Richard, P-Funk, or Nirvana and many others were to have gone mainstream? James Brown would be known for soul pop instead of funk, Little Richardd would have sung gospel, P-Funk would have disco records, and Nirvana would sound like Live or Soundgarden. Why sound like someone else when you can sound like no one else, and invent your own genre! 311 "From Chaos" is the prime example of 311 originality because it isn't mainstream. Are we supposed to hope that in the next 311 album they invite Christina Agulara to do backup vocals or Eminem to substitute the rap lyrics of S. A. Martinez!? What a concert that would be! "From Chaos" gives the opportunity to throw away the popular radio garbage of today and listen to truly funky bass of P. Nut and original music of 311. It will give "clarity" to your music listening from the "chaos" that is the music industry today. After all, "From chaos comes clarity..." Let the critics, radio stations, and MTV dull your mind with their reccomended "Grammy Award Winning" crap of today, or listen to the more or less underground blues, punk , jazz, reggae style of 311 and others in the category like Sublime, and even Dave Matthews. You'll love the truly rigid sound of "Sick Tight"; "I Told Myself"; and "Hostile Apostle" with amazing funk bass and guitar, and the smoother reggae blues style of "Champagne" and "Amber". Dont Be fooled by the critics, listen to the real fans, check out the website (311.com), and as always, listen for yourself. You wont be giving this CD away, or any other 311 CD for that matter!