Just a few years ago, it would have been so easy to cast Unwritten Law aside with all of the other flavor of the week punk bands taking residence on San Diego's sandy shores. Early records such as Blue Room and Oz Factor, while catchy and fun to listen to, were devoid of innovation and played as though the band did little more than raid through old Pennywise records in search of inspiration.

Luckily the band realized the need to broaden its scope just in time to keep fans from turning a deaf ear to their middle of the road punk sound. Its self-titled third record proved to be a colossal step in the right direction, moving beyond SoCal punk's restrictive parameters of lightening quick tempos and ferocious guitars into an arena more expansive and pop savvy. Some of the band's core following may have walked away in the process, but the record benefited them as it won the attention of legions of new fans and fell into the good graces of radio and MTV.

Here's to the Mourning, Unwritten Law's fifth studio effort, finds the band hell bent on selling itself as an accomplished band outside of the punk genre. Its last record, Elva, hinted at a move towards more strident power rock but still embraced the punk spirit that spawned them years ago. But if Elva merely tinkered with the idea of straightforward, balls to the wall rock music, then Mourning takes the concept and pushes it into overdrive. Finally, the members of Unwritten Law have dedicated themselves to being a great rock outfit and not just a great punk band.

There's something interesting going on here. Much of Mourning is just as hard hitting as much of the band's earlier material but in completely different ways. "Get Up" and "F.I.G.H.T" have a distinct anthem like quality to them, something to be found on almost any given Unwritten Law record. But unlike those tracks from the band's previous albums, the songs on Here's to the Mourning gather their strength from sheer crunch and volume than mere speed. The album offers up other surprises in its ability to incorporate electronic and acoustic elements into their hard-driving musical palette. Like a sponge, Mourning soaks up a lot of different sounds and styles, which means a lot coming from a band who early in its career showed little or no prospects for expansion.

In spite of its uninhibited eclecticism, there's something vital missing from Mourning that once served as an unavoidable constant in the band's artillery. What is it? Oh right, its punk origins.

Unwritten Law's early records relied too heavily on its punk influences, while Elva scaled things back just enough to allow other influences to seep in and filter through. Here's to the Mourning lacks that firm sense of balance that its predecessor held at its center, and while its always interesting to hear a band try for new things, it's equally disappointing to find Unwritten Law abandoning its roots.

Progression, as history has proven, can either make or break a band. So far its worked for them, but listening to its latest effort, you can't help but wish it held on to at least a little bit of its past.

Grade: BC

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Feb. 10 2005.