Review / Multiple Authors
Midpoint
Shutup, That's Why

2nd Best (2003) — Shane, Sean, Zed

Midpoint – Shutup, That's Why cover artwork
Midpoint – Shutup, That's Why — 2nd Best, 2003

Incredibly boring pop punk. While I do not like pop punk all that much, I know when it is done the right way and these guys have managed to fail their final exam. To study up, I suggest they listen to Osker - Idle Will Kill on repeat for the next 6 months, hit the studio, and try again. I have to give them credit though. They must know they suck by the name of their website.

I was bored the whole time. Most of the muscles in my face have ceased all ability to move. This is one of the most generic, boring, derivative albums I have ever heard. Regular ol' pop-punk, except with a pretty bad vocalist. The band would take the step up on the ladder to being terrible if they got rid of the singer, who has a slight NOFX/Millencolin annoying sound to his voice. The lyrics seem to be subpar, even for a 12 year old. I hate to be mean, but this band should go back to junior college and get a degree in ANYTHING.

Obviously the trend of pop punk has not stopped yet, which is evident by recent releases like this. It's formulaic, with squeaky clean guitar riffs and "uplifting" vocals that are whiney as all hell. There is even a breakdown thrown in here and there, which seems to be the new element in this music. In "Non Stop Lying You" at 1:45 there is one of the most ridiculous back up "shouts" I've ever heard. The few lyrics I could pick up here and there sounded like fifth grade poetry. With an album name like Shutup That's Why you can be sure there is a lot of teen angst filled in the jewel case. The band name isn't even original, there is another pop punk band named Midtown. If you like Blink 182, New Found Glory, etc. you might like this release. Otherwise, NO.

2.0 / 10Zed

Midpoint – Shutup, That's Why cover artwork
Midpoint – Shutup, That's Why — 2nd Best, 2003

Average score across three writers

3.0 / 10 — Shane, Sean, Zed • February 25, 2004

Recently-posted album reviews

Sahan Jayasuriya

Don’t Say Please: The Oral History of Die Kreuzen
Feral House (2026)

For those of us who spent the mid-to-late 1980s navigating basement community halls, churches, and loveable, armpit-smelling dive bars, the name Die Kreuzen was a permanent fixture on the punk rock radar. They were the sound of the Midwest underground --too fast for the goths to do their spooky Bela Lugosi "shoo the bats away" interpretive dance, too technical for … Read more

Sewer Urchin

Global Urination
Independent (2025)

There’s a fine line between crossover thrash that feels dangerous and crossover thrash that just feels like a party. Global Urination doesn’t bother choosing because it does both loudly and without apology. St. Louis’ Sewer Urchin have been grinding since 2019, and on their latest full length they double down on everything that makes the genre work. They give us … Read more

Ingested

Denigration
Metal Blade (2026)

For a band that built its name on sheer brutality, Ingested have spent the last several years refining what that brutality actually means. With their newest release, Denigration, the band finds that continuing evolution. They’re still punishing, still precise, but noticeably more controlled and deliberate in how it all lands. From the outset, the record makes its intentions clear. “Dragged … Read more