I can't believe The Exploited are still around. This is their first record in fucking seven years, they've been doing this for more than 20, and they're basically still doing the exact same thing. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know, but I will say that I'm still liking their stuff, surprisingly. It does sort of get a little more cheesy and immature each time, because, let's face it, Wattie's old... and I mean, how seriously can you take it? But hell, it sounds good, so fuck it. This record's not as metal as "Beat the Bastards" was. The songs are shorter, the sound isn't as heavy, etc. It's still got a heavy sort of edge to it, and the production is really crisp, but it's definitely faster and more towards what they were doing in the late-80's to an extent. Lots of power chords, lots of lead bursts, those same snarling vocal yells, etc. It's the same formula. Expect nothing new, although "Was it Me" is a bit more melodic and does stand out from the rest the album by far. There are some annoying tracks ("You're a Fucking Bastard" is especially intolerable, as is the nearly 45 seconds of obnoxious screaming that starts off the album and introduces the title track), but for the most part the listen runs smoothly. As for the recording, I'd definitely prefer a less rigid drum sound and a bit more fullness to the bass, but the guitars and vocals sound really good. There are just some gaps in the mix because the bass is a bit low and the drums cut through because they're somewhat unnatural. It sounds okay, though. It's weird to hear a band like this sound so polished, but it's definitely not as chunky and over the top as the last record. The layout looks not unlike the last record however, that ever-present mohawked skull is in appearance, two of them in fact, on the cover screaming at one another. There are also several band photos, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't look like Wattie and crew were trying a bit too hard. The same goes for the lyrics. I mean, The Exploited's lyrics have never been particularly grand, but with a record called "Fuck the System" and songs called (in addition to the title track) "Fucking Liar", "You're a Fucking Bastard", "Never Sell Out", and "Chaos is My Life", among others... it all sort of reeks of cheesiness. I mean, just look at some of these "diverse" attacks: "You're just a fucking liar, Liar, You're just a fucking liar." "You're a fucking bastard, You're a fucking bastard, A shit fuck too." "We'll never sell out, Is what I say, We'll never sell out no way." To say the lyrics are redundant and lacking in substance would be an understatement. But whatever... I don't know, I guess some people still find this band to be relevant. I honestly can't say that I find them at all relevant, but I do still enjoy listening to their records, even this newer stuff.
[Spitfire]
Running time - 34:13, Tracks: 13
[Notable tracks: Fucking Liar, Never Sell Out, Violent Society, Was it Me]
Spitfire Records - http://www.spitfirerecords.com
