Fear Your Gods: A Brief Review Of The Debut Album From Ultrabomb (ex-Husker Du, UK Subs, The Mahones)

A record that's incredibly easy to love, Time to Burn from super-group Ultrabomb is out as of yesterday. Featuring bassist Greg Norton (Husker Du), singer-guitarist Finny McConnell (The Mahones), and drummer Jamie Oliver (UK Subs, SNFU), Ultrabomb exist simply to rock, and the record delivers force, power, and punch.

Opener "Time to Burn" roars like Bad Religion, while "Fear Your Gods" is more nuanced. On "Star", Ultrabomb begins to sound a lot like The Replacements or Bash & Pop, with the punk edges whittled away to reveal a alt-rock heart. Elsewhere, "Stickman Vs Hangman" is brash, the lines of this one tracing a rough shape that suggests a punch-drunk proto-metal grace, while "Bang Punk" fires things up and rockets into our ears with the sort of joy and power that punk can (apparently) still bring. A fun cover of "Sonic Reducer" by The Dead Boys takes things back to an earlier era, the Ultrabomb version of the tune retaining a snap that gives the song a slick surface sheen.

With nothing wasted, and no pretentious bullshit, Time to Burn is just a delight. For a fan of any of these guys' earlier bands, there's a lot to love here. Things crunch, and the riffs pummel, and the whole thing has a wonderful tunefulness that makes this catchy even as it burns the paint off the walls.

More details on Ultrabomb via the official website.