On the Impossible Past
2012 studio album by The Menzingers
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On the Impossible Past is the third studio album by American punk rock band The Menzingers. It was released by Epitaph Records on February 21, 2012. The album was met with widespread acclaim by music critics, with the aggregating website Metacritic calculating an average score of 93 out of 100.[6]
| On the Impossible Past | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 21, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 41:31 | |||
| Label | Epitaph | |||
| Producer | Matt Allison | |||
| The Menzingers chronology | ||||
| ||||
| On the Possible Past | |
|---|---|
 | |
| EP by | |
| Released | February 21, 2012 |
| Recorded | 2011 |
| Genre | Acoustic punk |
| Length | 22:01 |
| Label | Epitaph |
Track listing
All songs written, composed and performed by The Menzingers
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Good Things" | 2:23 |
| 2. | "Burn After Writing" | 3:03 |
| 3. | "The Obituaries" | 3:17 |
| 4. | "Gates" | 4:04 |
| 5. | "Ava House" | 3:41 |
| 6. | "Sun Hotel" | 3:51 |
| 7. | "Sculptors and Vandals" | 2:10 |
| 8. | "Mexican Guitars" | 3:08 |
| 9. | "On the Impossible Past" | 1:33 |
| 10. | "Nice Things" | 3:28 |
| 11. | "Casey" | 3:42 |
| 12. | "I Can't Seem to Tell" | 3:05 |
| 13. | "Freedom Bridge" | 4:12 |
| Total length: | 41:31 | |
On the Possible Past
Pre-orders of the album included a cassette titled On the Possible Past, which contains demos recorded during the winter and spring of 2011. The collection was released on a one time pressing of 1,000 on green vinyl by Epitaph Records.[7]
- "Good Things" – 2:18
- "Burn" – 2:15
- "Ava" – 2:46
- "Sun Hotel" – 3:51
- "Sculptors and Vandals" – 2:22
- "Casey" – 3:18
- "I Can't Seem to Tell" – 2:33
- "Freedom Bridge" – 2:38
Reception
Critical response
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 93/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| AbsolutePunk | 9.5/10[2] |
| Alternative Press |  [8] |
| Kerrang! | [1] |
| Louder than War | 8/10[9] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[10] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[4] |
| Rock Sound | 8/10[11] |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.5/5[12] |
| This Is Fake DIY | 8/10[13] |
On the Impossible Past garnered critical acclaim upon its release.[6] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream music critics, the album received an average score of 93, based on nine reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[6] AllMusic writer Gregory Heaney awarded the album four stars out of five and praised its "wryly nostalgic performance, giving a nod to their punk roots as they embrace the rugged earnestness of the Rust Belt with songs about broken hearts, loneliness, and self-doubt."[3] Thomas Nassiff of AbsolutePunk called the album "sweeping, driven, masterful" as he scored it a near-perfect 9.5/10. He confessed that despite "review[ing] albums every week, I just can't seem to fully explain my adoration" for it, before summarizing On the Impossible Past "is an album that should have come out decades ago...this is something that has no expiration date."[2] Steve Lepore of PopMatters called the album "an impeccably crafted melodic hardcore record by a group ready for its close-up."[4] The album also received favorable reviews from the BBC and Exclaim![14][15]
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbsolutePunk | United States | AP.net Staff List: Top 30 Albums of 2012[16] | 1 |
| Frontier Psychiatrist | The Top 50 Albums of 2012[17] | 26 | |
| Metacritic | Best Under-the-Radar Releases[18] | 2 | |
| Punknews | Best of 2012 – Staff Picks[19] | 1 | |
| Sputnikmusic | Staff's Top 50 Albums of 2012[20] | 25 | |
| Kerrang! | United Kingdom | The K! Critics' Top 101 Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 13 |
| Rock Sound | The 50 Best Albums of 2012[21] | 1 | |
| This Is Fake DIY | DIY Albums of 2012[22] | 20 | |
| Thrash Hits | The Thrash Hits Top 20 Albums of 2012[23] | 6 |
Personnel
The Menzingers
- Tom May – guitar, vocals
- Joe Godino – drums
- Greg Barnett – guitar, vocals
- Eric Keen - bass guitar