Reviewed by Andy Long

This Ohio-based four-piece have an impressive six year history of touring and recording. They've released three independent albums before signing up to Sparrow for this release. All of that adds up to a very mature sound for ‘Say It Loud’, a maturity which is rarely found on debuts. Sanctus Real have blended punk, ska and hard rock with a contemporary edge that will appeal to fans of Blink 182, Sum 41 and other bands with numbers added on to their names for no apparent reason. Unlike Sum 41, however, this album is some killer, some filler. Like a lot of similar bands they have loaded the finest tracks into the beginning and end of the album and left a bit of a bland area in the middle. The opening two, “Sink Or Swim” and “Captain’s Chair” are both outstanding rockers, but by the time we get to track four it’s starting to sink rather than swim. Overall though it’s still an impressive disc and I’d like to hear more.

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