Artist: The O.C. Supertones Album: The Revenge of the O.C. Supertones Label: BEC Recordings Rating: 7 out of 10

The ska-punk boom of the mid-'90s faded long ago, as did its brief successor, swing. However, the O.C. Supertones, the biggest Christian ska band ever (not that there are too many challengers for the title) are still keeping at it. With their latest release, Revenge of the O.C. Supertones, the band goes back to their roots, mostly eschewing the rap and pop explorations of their last three albums. The one-two-punch of "Wake Me Up on Time" and "Where I Find You" starts things out on the right note. Both songs feature straight-ahead ska verses and the trademark poppy punk-rock choruses the band is known for, albeit with an even more uplifting and anthemic sound than usual. Other standouts like "Transmission" trade on the same formula, but inject organ and some sweet melodic guitar solos that lend the material some added depth. The roots of the Supertones' sound show through on the excellent "Prince of Peace," which pairs choppy ska verses with a slow, reggae-fied chorus. And the piano work on the ballad "Shepherd of the Lamb" from former Superdrag principal John Davis is simply beautiful. However, those who enjoy the band's recent genre-blending experiments will appreciate funky first single "We Shall Overcome" even more. Here, the Supertones rock out their hardest, and generally-gentle lead singer Matt Morginsky breaks out his aggressive rap stylings of old. The biggest surprise on Revenge, though, is the seven-and-a-half minute "Dream of Two Cities," which doesn't sound like anything the band has ever attempted before. Based around a mid-tempo groove courtesy of new bassist Chris Beaty, the Supertones throw everything from spaghetti-western guitar to lots of incidental percussion at the Revelation-based song, and they all stick well. There are a couple of throwaways here that do detract from Revenge's overall impact, though. "Everything's Broken" and the MTV-baiting "Cult of Cool" employ the ska verse/punk chorus formula, but they're uninspired compared to the more adventurous tracks on Revenge. Thankfully, Morginsky's lyrics are as strong as ever. "Prince of Peace" takes a grittier tack than the frontman usually does, telling the story of "a girl with only a mother./ And a dad who won't seem to bother./ So she finds a lover./ Now she has a child who doesn't have a father./ I hope the prince of peace is coming soon." And the resurrection-anticipating "Wake Me Up On Time" is a unique way to kick off a CD. "The trumpet sounds like a worldwide alarm clock," Morginsky sings. "The dead rise./ This might come as a shock./ The day the grave will be unlocked. / Life ends and I don't mind./ Just wake me up on time." There's certainly not as much of a market for the Supertones' brand of ska-punk as there was during their Chase the Sun-era popularity peak, with emo having replaced it as the trend du jour. But you have to give the band credit for sticking to their guns, and continuing to do what they do best, which is exactly what they're doing on Revenge. - Todd Thatcher