Ultra Fuckers

"Beyond The Fuckless" CDR

Public Eyesore / Central Scum

Genres: garage punk, Japanoise, Japanese garage

Bryan Day / PE
3803 S 25th St.
Omaha, NE 68107

Oct 28 - Nov 3 2002

Though the recording quality is, quite possibly, the most terrible I've ever heard, that doesn't seem to detract from the music at all. Take "Holly Bible" (that isn't a spelling error), for instance. Just under two minutes, the track poses death metal-esque vocal growls, highly distorted guitars, and destructive drumming under a veil of that stuffy "tape sound" that plagues bootleg recordings. Despite the screwy recording, though, the message still gets out, and any Japanoise garage fan will completely love it, intoxicated or not. Also fantastic is "Punk Mescaline," which sounds as if it was recorded underwater, but still manages to take you on an ultra fucking thrill ride. The track's DIY ethic is what really stands out, and the sheer destructiveness of it all is what keeps you banging your head.

This thrashy garage sound describes most of the album's thirteen tracks, although there are times when the band decides to go for a more droney style. The two "Long Number" tracks are perfect examples of this. While perhaps they don't fit under the traditional definition of "drone music," they still manage to carry a surreal, airy sound to them - mostly due to the heavy reverb they have going on. This works surprisingly well, and gives the tracks a spacey, psychedelic feeling. It's kind of like a throwback to some of the more experimental, noisy psychedelic acts that were going on in the sixties - especially those in Japan. Also equally psychedelic is "German Rock Radio II," an intergalactic psych trip that will get your soul floating above your head.

All in all, this is a must for all fans of punked-up garage rock, especially of the Japanese persuasion. Be warned, though, this ain't no Nuggets - this is the bloody Ultra Fuckers!

88%

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 25 min 59 sec; 13 tracks; distributed by the label; released 2002]