Dookie was their calling card, Nimrod pulled them more into the mainstream, and now Warning hopes to bridge the gap between the two.

Woo hoo! Green Day is back from obscurity, bringing a slightly different sound with them. Some may be happy, but others might think that the “sell-outs” have simply lost all sense of punk rock.

More than five years ago, Green Day was the poster child of the punk-rock scene.

Their in-your-face lyrics and fast-paced loud music caught the fever of rebellious teens everywhere.

However, by signing with “the man,” Reprise Records, they betrayed the underground-the source of their biggest fans. That should come as no surprise as the band has always played to the beat of their own drum.

The band members, Billie Armstrong on vocals, Mike Dirnt on bass and Tre Cool, are extremely talented musicians who have played and written songs with unrepentant honesty. Their honesty pulled them into the punk-rock scene and gained a huge fan base.

Dookie was a huge success, and, suddenly, it was cool to listen to punk rock.

Everyone has heard “Longview” and “When I Come Around.” The band’s frenzied guitars and crazy drumming made their bitter and vividly descriptive music more enduring.

Nimrod, Green Day’s next major release, caused a stir; not because it was over-the-top or too rebellious but because the music mellowed out.

The only memorable song from the album was “Time of Your Life” which wasn’t even punk-rock. “Time” is a catchy acoustic song about reminiscing; high schools played it at graduation and Seinfeld used it in the series’ finale.

This was sacrilege to the punk rock community, and album sales reflected this fact.

Still, the band felt the music reflected their feelings. Armstrong is married and now raising two kids; themes change.

Warning is not like Dookie, nor is it very similar to Nimrod. This is Green Day’s attempt to bridge the gap between their two previous albums, and they did a decent job. The album has a different sound than one would expect.

It has some good songs that go back to their original punk sound like “Minority” which is an extremely catchy song. This song maybe trying to bring back some of Green Day’s older punk rock fans. “Castaway” and “Blood, Sex and Booze” also fall into this category but may not be as memorable. “Jackass” is a pretty good and different Green Day track. It has a saxophone solo and occasional harmonica.

Songs like “Hold on,” “Misery” and “Church on Sunday” are pop songs and are equally enjoyable. Since Nimrod, Armstrong has picked up the acoustic guitar which he plays in such songs as “Macy’s Day Parade.”

Revealing inspiration for the music style on the album, Armstrong said, “I’ve been listening to a lot of old Bob Dylan lately, especially the album where he first used a band.”

The entire album is not easy to classify as a particular genre. It is not a punk rock album, nor is it a pure pop-sell-out album. Hopefully that is enough for everyone. Of course, Green Day won’t care because they are just being themselves. B