Four on the Floor＜Yellow Vinyl＞

Various members of the now defunct emocore originals Dag Nasty reunited after a four-year split to produce an album in true punk fashion. Recorded in about two weeks and produced by Epitaph mastermind Brett Gurewitz, Four on the Floor found Dag Nasty drawing from their influential past to give die-hard fans an updated taste of the positive-minded punk they spearheaded in the '80s alongside fellow Dischord bands Minor Threat, Soulside, and Fugazi, to name a few. The album's liner notes referenced the fact that this was a one-off, semi-coincidental occurrence, and this spontaneous resurrection captured the early fun and fury of Dag Nasty in their glory. Key members Dave Smalley, Colin Sears, and Roger Maybury lent authenticity to the effort, and due to his contract while in Junkyard, Brian Baker could not use his real name during this "reunion" record. Humorously he went under the pseudonym "Dale Nixon," but make no mistake about it - that is Baker playing guitar on this record. Gurewitz's production sometimes fell short of representing Dag Nasty's true musical voice, occasionally sounding a bit thin for hardcore. But on tracks like "Million Days" and "S.F.S.," Dag Nasty managed to recapture their original musical intensity and simultaneously spotlighted Dave Smalley's continued growth as a writer. "We Went Wrong" revisited staple Dag Nasty themes of frustration and betrayed trust, and sounded as aggressive and fresh as any of their early work. The spirit of spontaneity showed through on the speedy but ultimately goofy "Roger," and the raucous cover of the U.K. Subs' classic "Lie Down and Die" paid respect to their punk influences. Four on the Floor wasn't necessarily essential for casual fans of the genre, but it definitely provided Dag Nasty diehards with a revisited but worthy glimpse into their short-lived but fiery career. ~ Paul Henderson