U.K. SUBS
U.K. SUBS - “Reverse Engineering”
By Dark Starr
Said to be the final album from punk rockers U.K. SUBS, this set has some strong music. There aren't any real surprises, but rather we get plenty of new slabs of the type of punk one expects from these guys. If it does wind up being the last hurrah for the group, it's worthy of it.
Fast-paced and just plain mean, the opening "Sensei" really rocks. "Political Alamo" comes in tentatively with some fuzz-drenched guitar. The cut drives out from there to more screaming hot punk. Starting hard-rocking and intense, "C60 Audio" drops to more of a droning arrangement for the entrance of the vocals. It is another powerhouse punk rocker. While you sort of know what you are going to get from one song to another, "Slavery" is one of my favorites here. It has some of the coolest guitar interplay and just works so well.
The guitar work on "Hoist The Sail" has an almost neo-classical edge to it at times. This is more of a metal song in some ways. It's a real stomper and another highlight of the disc for me. More pure punk, "Big Foot" is a fun song. It's not really a standout, but it works well. Another punk stomper, "Kill Me" is meatier than the previous cut, but perhaps not at the same level as some of the earlier stuff. Punk and speed metal seem to merge on the powerhouse that bears the title "Statements." It's another highlight of the set and has some pretty crazed sections.
Another punk stomper, "The Night Holds The Key" has some great hooks and energy. It's another of the more effective pieces here. For some reason "Vision And Sound" reminds me a little of the RAMONES. I don't think this one works as well as some of the others, though. A mean track, "Bad Acid" has a cool vocal arrangement. It's great old-school punk. We've been waiting for the closer, and it's titled "Godot." Sorry, I couldn't resist that dumb joke. For the song we get another fierce metal romp. it is energized and meaty. It's also a lot of fun.