Ultraspank - Progress
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Free Music Notes for Progress
Free Music Review: say it with me now "best in show"
Hit: 5 Stars
unbelievably good! this is one of those albums where you wish there was a sixth star option.
if you're familiar with ultraspank's first album you probably own it in addition to this one but if you don't own this one yet listen to the song 'sponge' off of the first album and that's close to the kind of sound you should expect for this next album.
for those of you who are new or curious about ultraspank and you enjoy metal bands with a few industrial twists you will find euphoria when you listen to this. there aren't that many bands that sound too similar to this one (giving it full marks for originality) but the closest ones i can think of are definately Cold and maybe a little Orgy.
anyway let me sqeeze another star in there... * there we go
Free Music Review: Ultraspank's Best Album
Hit: 5 Stars
Now I enjoy Ultraspank a lot. Let's just face the facts though; their new one is by far better than their first one. Someone had reviewed that "Progress" was mostly screaming and that is simply wrong. I'm not a huge fan of the screaming metal to begin with. That's one of the main reasons why I only like a few tracks off of Ultraspank's first album. Their first one is way more full of screaming then "Progress" is. "Progress" though is awesome. This has to be one of my most prized cd's in my collection. From the beginning it takes hold and doesn't let go. The album has so much variety to offer from the catchiness of "Feed", to the anger of "Jackass", to the techno club beat of "Click" or even the softer "Where". My favorite tracks though are "Smile", "Click", and "Where". Here are my track ratings...
1. Push - 9.5/10
2. Crumble - 8.5/10
3. Stuck - 9/10
4. Feed - 10/10
5. Smile - 10/10
6. Click - 10/10
7. Jackass - 7.5/10
8. Crack - 9.5/10
10. Thanks - 7/10
11. Left - 9/10
12. Where - 10/10
Overall: 90% A-
It's a pretty awesome cd after a just okay first release. It's one of my favorites to listen to every now and then when I get sick of my other music. Yes, it does sound a bit like Tool but the band really still does have a sound of their own that makes them what they are, Ultraspank.
Free Music Review: Criminally ignored and forgotten
Hit: 5 Stars
When I search for new music, one of the sure-fire attributes that draws me into a band is a dichotomy or juxtaposition of styles. I like bands that have more than one speed. I like singers who can belt out a blood-curdling scream and sing just as well. I especially like bands that write songs where the structure reflects the human condition. In short, I like music that contains (and therefore evokes) more than one emotion.
I like Ultraspank.
With this their sophomore effort Ultraspank achieved what I consider to be a perfect mix of solid hard rock and electronic/industrial. There are a couple of songs on this album that could work just as well in a trendy dance club as they would (and did) at a metal show.
The key here is Pete Murray's vocal ability. To be quite frank, the guy is unparalleled (check out Lo-Pro to see more of his softer singing side). He can scream low, he can scream high, he can sing, he can harmonize, and he can write a hell of a hook. On top of it all, he has a very unique delivery and an extremely smooth voice. A lot of the time it sounds like he's simply talking over the music. Don't be fooled; what he's doing is very difficult and takes tremendous vocal control. "Click" is an excellent example.
The rest of the band certainly aren't anything to take for granted. Simple but effective drumming, knife-sharp and dynamic guitar work, and solid grooves laid down by the bass all make this release what it is: an excellent musical journey through territory that hadn't really been approached.
The mood of the album is another striking aspect of this release. The songs run the gamut from angry-as-hell ("Crumble") to depressed ("Smile") to energetic and almost happy ("Click") to incendiary and accusatory ("Invite Yourself In") to conservatively hopeful ("Where"). To be clear I'm not talking about lyrical content, but simply the feel that the music has.
There are a lot of reasons that this is not a perfect album. Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, they're basically Nu-Metal (although some people have labeled them industrial, I think that's way off base). No, the music is not nearly as creative as it could have been and not as experimental or heavy as their self-titled debut. Yes, they broke up and, as far as I know, will never get back together. No, not every song on here is special or even good. Really, if I could give more accurate ratings, "Progress" would probably be a 4.7 or so.
Those things aside, this is a cd that touches my natural desire to hear more than just a single emotion expressed in song form without pissing me off by being gimmicky. There's no rapping and the electronic elements are not in the form of scratching or sound samples from movies. Everything is very musical and goes toward improving the song in question. These guys really knew how to write attractive music as well as excellent hard rock. Considering they only got to release two discs before breaking up, I'd say they accomplished a hell of a lot. It's worth picking up if you're looking for a different take on the hard rock/radio rock/Nu-Metal scene. While it's a good thing that the Nu-Metal sound is dying, it's unfortunate that a few of the really enjoyable bands got sucked down with it. Buy "Progress" and show your friends that not every band born of the mid to late '90's sucked ass.
Standout Tracks:
Crumble
Stuck
Feed
Smile
Click
Left
Where
Free Music Review: electronically based metal-nothing more or less
Hit: 3 Stars
ultraspank,when they were in session,were fronted by pete murray,now the lead singer for lo pro, and a phenomenal singer and screamer.with ultraspank,pete screams more than he needs to,causing his voice to not shine like it should.the music is pretty good, laced with lots of weird effects and intros."push" is a heavy opener while "left" tones things down a bit for a seemingly mellow rock track that sounds like something from the 80's.not a bad disc, but just not really my style.if you liked the first one, you will love this cd,because the production is much better and so is the music quality.Free Music Review: Ultragreat
Hit: 5 Stars
I bought this CD used, at a now defunct record store after listening to the 1st song. I figured WTH, it was only $5.00
Ultraspank and Nothingface changed the way I listen to music. I always had a rule of thumb where I would listen to each CD at least 3 times before passing judgement, and I'm damn glad I did. I have done nothing short of wearing this CD out!! It has been 1 of those "gotta have on the trip" CD's because each song has its own identity to it.
Although the band has broken up, I will continue to burn the candle listening to Progress.. ITS THAT GOOD!