ALBUM REVIEW: UltraBomb - Time To Burn
UltraBomb are an international punk rock supergroup - Greg Norton comes as bassist from the highly influential American punk band, Hüsker Dü; Finny McConnell spent three decades as singer/guitarist of the Canadian Irish folk-punk band The Mahones; and Jamie Oliver can count at least 15 years behind the drums for seminal punk group UK Subs. So, without question, these guys can play and perform.
This album, Time to Burn is an incendiary blast of punk rock attitude, infused with a whole load of soaring melodious chorus lines. There is little doubt that this is rooted in punk and bonded by a DIY ethic, which is inherent in the three iconic band members.
The title track has hard driving guitars backed up by powerhouse drumming.
Fear Your Gods goes down a more traditional rock format, with a nod to the likes of The Who.
Star is a rousing, emotive song and has a real heart on the sleeve narrative. It owes a lot to the early days of Beatlemania.
Stickman Vs Hangman is a slow burner, which explodes into a frenzy of guitars and bombastic drums, as if the unadulterated energy of The Cult crashed into the incendiary guitar sound of The Edge of U2 at his most visceral.
Faded Way is a glam stomper.
Bang Punk is another blast of melody infused pop-punk, leading onto the heavier overtones of Super Hero Shit, which is more aligned with the likes of early Guns N’ Roses.
Like The Wind starts off with a stadium filling anthemic quality, before once again hitting a frenetic and unrelenting pace pioneered so wonderfully by the Ramones.
Sonic Reducer is a truly majestic cover of the Dead Boys. It’s a song which showcases all the key elements of UltraBomb’s make-up and sound so magnificently in just under three minutes.
A melting pot of everything that’s ever worth listening to in punk music.
Time to Burn is OUT NOW!
