Rufio’s hiatus certainly didn’t last long. After calling it quits in 2007, the band played series of scattered shows in 2008 and properly reunited one year later, with a new drummer and bassist rounding out the lineup. The roster may be new, but the song has stayed the same, with
Anybody Out There hewing close to the sugary pop-punk that helped launch the band ten years prior. As with previous albums,
Rufio’s guitar riffs are a bit more intricately knotted than most Warped Tour-approved bands, proof that age has yet to take the metallic leanings out of this group’s sound. There are precious few curveballs here -- few moments where the guys sound like they’re pushing themselves to do something different -- but familiarity isn’t necessarily a bad thing, particularly when the group in question has been MIA for the past two years.
Rufio knows what it does best, and
Anybody Out There is a welcome return. ~ Andrew Leahey