Every The Menzingers Album Ranked Worst to Best

If you’re a former punk teenager and current punk thirtysomething, the Menzingers discography perfectly soundtracks your growing up (or lack thereof). From humble beginnings as a snot-nosed teenage hellion to begrudgingly becoming a somewhat functioning adult, they have a song for every step of the way. So drain your stale coffee, thoughtfully light that cigarette, and throw on your beloved jean jacket as we rank every Menzingers album.

6. Hello Exile (2019)

While the Menzingers have never made a bad record, this one falls to the bottom because the rest of their discography is so strong. “Hello Exile” is incredibly well-made and there are some true hits that fit right in with the rest of the Menzingers touring setlist. That said, a lot of tracks don’t feel original enough make this album feel distinct. Even the highlights sound like when your friend corners you at a party to tell you a story you’ve heard a million times already.

Play it again: “Anna,” which has for my money the best near-rhyme in all of punk (“I’ve so much to tell ya/please come back to Philadelphia”).
Skip it: “Portland”

5. A Lesson in the Abuse of Information Technology (2007)

This is a solid debut record. It has the seeds of what they would later cultivate over the next decade of their career: genuine heart, a penchant for literary references, and bright melodies. It’s all there, even if it’s a little unrefined. The entire record sounds like someone threw a huge party at their parents’ house–every lyric is a hoarse yell and the guitars and drums feel like they’re shaking the floor and knocking family heirlooms off the mantle. It ages very quickly because that level of frantic energy is difficult to hold on to. It’s similar to Minor Threat and Operation Ivy’s music in the sense that it could ONLY be created by young kids having a blast making music with their friends. It’s hard to not be charmed by that.

Play it again: “Sir, Yes Sir”
Skip it: “Richard Corry”

4. Chamberlain Waits (2010)

The turning point album. Things are beginning to click for the Menzingers on this album as they grow into a key participant in the Philly DIY scene. The screamed lyrics and wild energy are still present but they’re slowly beginning to use those elements to forge their brand of melodic punk.
In comparison to the rest of their discography, listening back to these songs feels like choosing to drink store-brand soda when you’ve got glass-bottled Coke in the fridge. Sure, it’s pretty good on its merits, but why have this when you could get the real deal? A key listen for true fans but unfortunately for its ranking, it doesn’t quite stack up.

Play it again: “Home Outgrown”
Skip it: “Come Here Often?”

Honorable Mention: Hold On Dodge (2009)

Any worthwhile EP will cover everything a band is able to do in 5-6 six songs, and this is no exception. This Red Scare Industries release boasts some of the best tracks in the early half of the Menzinger’s career, so I’d be remiss to not at least address it. It packs so many Menzingers tropes it feels like you’re running down a checklist–an almost too sincere singalong chorus? Check. A loveable ripoff of Bruce Springsteen? Check. Self-medication with alcohol? Check. Alright boys, we’ve got ourselves an EP!

Play it again: “They Speak of My Drinking, But Never of My Thirst”
Skip it: None

3. Rented World (2014)

When “Rented World” was released, the Menzingers found themselves in the falling into trap door of being in a successful punk band: while they had finally gained a larger, devoted audience, the demands of touring all over the world were depleting them financially and emotionally. This record still has the same hopeless romanticism that was perfected in “Impossible Past,’ but they spit venom on some of these tracks. “I Don’t Wanna Be an Asshole Anymore” alone is a triumphant songwriting achievement. This single track is responsible for thousands of twentysomethings experiencing their first-ever moment of self-reflection.

Play it again: “Rodent”
Skip it: “Transient Love”

2. On the Impossible Past (2012)

Everything the Menzingers had been trying to express thematically and lyrically is in here with perfect melodies. Stories about unrequited love, shame, drinking, and fucking up are captured in picture-perfect clarity. If you’re 23 and hearing this for the first time after a breakup, I’m so happy for you but so sad for everyone else in your life who must now hear you talk about this album nonstop. The only reason this is #2 instead of #1 is that there have been similar masterpieces about nostalgia and romance written by other bands (cough cough Gaslight Anthem cough cough). These have always been powerful driving forces for the band, but the best Menzingers album was able to break through the rose-colored glasses with a harsh kick in the face from reality.

Play it again: The whole thing in order on repeat (particularly “The Obituaries,” a track that is to my knowledge the only punk song to quote Nabokov).
Skip it: None, unless you’re missing a heart.

1. After the Party (2017)

The fear of aging is palpable, especially working in a genre whose high water marks were made by literal teenagers. The Menzingers used this anxiety to fuel their best work with a simple question: Where are we gonna go now that our 20s are over? They answer with their most visceral, gut-wrenchingly honest lyrics about the guilt of years lost to drinking and touring which instantly connected with their audience, who lost years to drinking and following the Menzingers on tour. The timing of this release was perfect, as their main demographic was also getting older, but without any of the perks of being a rockstar. The sheer existential dread on this record also produced some of their best lyricism. They feel more motivated to preserve precious, hyper-specific moments in time. These aren’t as shiny as the ones in Impossible Past but it’s more important to draw attention to them given “After the Party’s” far bleaker context.

Play it again: The whole album, repeatedly, until your midlife crisis is resolved
Skip it: None

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