SUBHUMANS „Reissues”

Music: Punk
Country: UK
Web site: www.myspace.com/theesubhumans
Cool Songs: Susan, Get out of my Way, Big Brothere

Southern Records presents a sweeping reissue of the hardcore punk group SUBHUMANS’ early albums. Each release comes in digipack format complete with poster inserts and original artwork. This material, which derived from the ‘80s, was some of the best hardcore and anarchist punk during the peak of such extreme musical styles.One might ask why Metal Centre.com is covering a punk artist. Well, punk is integral piece of metal history. Without punk and hardcore punk, we wouldn’t have thrash, crossover or grind.

Throughout each of the six re-releases one will find plenty of fast, heavy, angry numbers well capable of instigating slam dancing and circle pits. “Time Flies + Rats” has many songs of such a nature. Consisting of the “Rats” EP and the “Time Flies” LP, the said album is a history lesson on vintage ‘80s hardcore.

“Get out of my Way” has classic punk attitude and rapid vocal rhythms. Although containing poor, distant production values, “I Don’t Want to Die” exudes the type of flair for speed displayed by MISFITS “Green Hell” or fellow countrymen THE EXPLOITED. SUBHUMANS slow the pace on “Susan” and the ska-based number “When the Bomb Drops. In addition to narrating the tragic tale of Susan Strange, Dick Lucas produces teary piano notes on “Susan.”

1983’s “From the Cradle to the Grave” opens with furious drum rolls on the album’s intro. “Forget” keeps the rocking pace complete with a soaring solo. “Adversity” is full of heavy but thinly produced distant guitars. The title track is another speeding hardcore scorcher but alternates with more skanking grooves.

Although played at a slower tempo overall, “The Day the Country Died,” the group’s first full length, includes some of the band’s strongest political statements. Tracks such as “‘Til the Pigs Come Around,” “No,” and “New Age” show the group’s ability to question the norm. “Big Brother” reiterates the ideas found in Orwell’s dystopic-yet-prophetic novel 1984—a concept of particular importance considering modern England’s all-seeing surveillance network. Musical highlights include the rolling drums of “Black and White” and catching bass lines of “Ashtray Dirt.”

Appearing as part of the four-EP album “EP-LP” and taken from the “Demolition War” EP, “Drugs of Youth” is a fast and fuzzy-toned number. “Whose Gonna fight in the “Third World War” is an up tempo rant on the military industrial complex, telling the people what they already know but are afraid to admit. “Reason for Existence” isn’t as fast as the prior EP, but still contains heavy guitar tones. If craving speed, check out “It’s Gonna Get Worse” on the following EP “Religious War” and the final track, “Not Me” on the “Evolution” EP.

“Worlds Apart,” originally released in 1985, highlights the slower, more experimental side of SUBHUMANS. “British Disease” includes droning guitar passages, atypical guitar rhythms and bouncy yet placid bass lines. “Fade Away” brings more Jamaican-derived ska rhythms, mixed with spacey guitar lines. Pounding drums and wailing guitar solos move the pace on “Can’t Hear the Words.”

Some of the highlights on the 1986 release, “29:29 Split Vision” include “Heroes,” which reminds us how greed corrupts even our greatest leaders. “Worlds Apart” contains springy guitar rhythms and more catchy bass lines. The track’s jovial mood reflects the blissful ignorance group perceives its island has for the rest of the world. Although the guitars lack the crunch of classic metal, “Time Flies” has a trebly NWOBHM rhythm.

During punk’s greatest years—the 1980s—the SUBHUMANS were an essential group. Stylistically, they touched on the various avenues travelled by punk rock—hardcore, classic British punk and ska—and occasionally threw in a noise rock element. The group was typical of the British sound but its diversity of style separated it from the millions of punk clones. The ska influence foreshadowed members of SUBHUMANS forming the popular ska act, CITIZEN FISH.

The albums mentioned in this review represent the bulk output of the SUBHUMANS. All these albums were recorded in the 1980s, and the group didn’t release a studio album until 2007’s “Internal Riot.” These recordings must have proved elusive considering the underground nature and the time that has passed since the first pressings, so Southern Records has done a great service for fans of classic punk in these reissues.

Tracklist

Albums:

The Day the Country Died (1983)
From the Cradle to the Grave (1983)
Worlds Apart (1985)
EP-LP (LP, re-issue of first four EPs (1985)
29:29 Split Vision (1986)
Time Flies + Rats (1990)

Line-up

Dick Lucas ˇ vocals/lyrics/occasional piano
Grant Jackson ˇ bass
Bruce Treasure ˇ guitar/backing vocals/occasional drums
Trotsky ˇ drums