After 1996's Kicked in the Teeth Again,
Welt was poised to take their brand of '90s SoCal punk to a level equal to some of the genre's most successful and distinct artists. Their first two offerings had more than a few bright spots and fans had reason to expect great things from
Broke Down -- the band's third disc for Orange County's Dr. Dream records. For the most part,
Welt comes through on this 1998 release with even better songs and some energetic mixes courtesy of producers
Bill Stevenson and
Stephen Egerton from punk legends the
Descendents.
Welt drifts slightly in a pop direction on
Broke Down, and a few old demons revisit their more mature, but still limited, material. Some repetitive, inane choruses ("Feel the Same," "See it Through") and singer/songwriter
Jason Cooper's over-played
Social Distortion influences ("Something to Believe In," "Stand") infect
Broke Down's polished punk, and the disc sputters because of it. ~ Vincent Jeffries