All Time Low - Don't Panic. Let's Party: The Biography

by Joe Shooman

With punk tunes to die for, raucous gigs to get the world jumping and lyrics that resonate with a generation, All Time Low are putting the power back into power-pop and owning stages across the globe.

In 2003, four best friends, Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Rian Dawson and Zack Merrick, got together in high school, bonding over their love of Blink-182 and soon set off on a path that would emulate their heroes. The group was signed before graduating and soon found they were breaking out as Vans Warped Tour favourites.

Songs like 'Dear Maria, Count Me In' brought the band firmly onto the world stage as the group established itself as one of the most exciting on the circuit, touring as headliners in their own right as well as supporting seminal genre acts Green Day and Blink-182.

The group's status as serious pop-punk heroes was further strengthened by the superbly-received 2012 album, Don't Panic, packed to the edges with blistering skate-punk riffs, infectious vocal harmonies and sparkling guitar play. With their 2015 album Future Hearts having debuted at No. 2 in the US Billboard 200 and topping the UK album charts, All Time Low have proved they're here to stay.

Affectionate, in-depth and packed with more inside stories than you can shake a drumstick at, Don't Party, Let's Panic tells the unofficial story behind four boys who were destined to become the greatest thing to come out of Towson, Baltimore. The time for superstardom is nigh for a quartet whose party-loving ways and instant rapport with their fanbase are as strong as those irresistible riffs and melodies.

The future is theirs.

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2016

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found much off this book rather dull. It consists primarily of a catalogue of the bands recordings, performances and interviews. It appears to lack personal or tangible references to who the band are as people. It may appeal to dedicated fans but holds little appeal for (this) casual reader.