Blink-182 - Blink-182 (2003)

Before I fell in love with heavy metal, I listened to a lot of punk music varying from The Ramones to Die toten Hosen and I certainly wasn't the only one. Pop punk was incredibly popular in my teenage years around the turn of the millennium and bands like Good Charlotte, Green Day and Sum 41 were all the rage. The combination of angry riffs, catchy choruses and angsty lyrics about identity, romance and uncertainty struck a chord with many teenagers back then. Blink-182's self-titled record was one of the first albums I have ever bought along with records from Linkin Park, Puddle of Mudd and Red Hot Chili Peppers. These records have aged really well and haven't lost anything of their magic from one and a half decades ago.

Simply categorizing this release as pop punk would't be fair. It does indeed contain punk rock stylistics and pop choruses but it's so much more than that. Alternative rock musicianship meets moody gothic atmosphere in some tunes. Electronic elements intertwine with commercial rock vibes of the eighties. The fourteen tunes are incredibly eclectic but since all of them are performed with relentless conviction, genuine passion and energetic skills, the final result sounds absolutely outstanding.

Despite the numerous experiments, this album still sounds like Blink-182 and respects all the trademarks the band had established over the previous four studio records. Travis Barker's drumming is more energetic than the performances of most extreme metal drummers but he also plays with lots of feeling. Tom DeLonge's vibrant guitar play and upbeat melodic vocals represent the band's expressive side. Mark Hoppus' domineering bass guitar and lower vocal register portray the group's moodier and more introspective side. The three musicians complement one another perfectly at the peak of their career as this is easily and by far Blink-182's greatest album.

There are too many outstanding tunes to mention them all. On the expressive side, one could point out the sharp ''Obvious'' with its powerful guitar riffs, dynamic drumming and angry bass guitar tone that support emotional lyrics about a guy who is well aware of the fact that his girlfriend is cheating on him and it breaks his heart. On the more introspective side, the wonderful ballad ''I Miss You'' with its acoustic instrumental parts and bittersweet piano sounds is a moody gothic rock love song about two lovers missing each other which is something almost any human being can refer to. The experimental ''Stockholm Syndrome'' deals with a similar topic and opens with a voice actress reading a letter a soldier wrote to his wife during the Second World War and this part gets me every single time since I know the feeling of being separated from loved ones.

Blink-182's self-titled album is the band's crowning achievement and more than a pop punk album but rather one of the greatest rock albums of its decade. If you haven't checked it out yet or feel like revisiting it, do yourself a favour and give its fourteen masterpieces a chance. The album will touch your soul, heart and brain and will make you feel at least fifteen years younger than you actually are.