UGH! (Waste) LP/CD
UGH! from Munich has been given the tag "Motor Voodoo Rock" by their Elektrohasch Label. This covers my listening impression pretty good. 'Waste' is already their fourth full-length and it's mostly raw Rock 'n Roll again! Sweat and alcohol are dripping from this record. The guitars and bass are somewhere between dirty heavy 70's Rock and more modern Garage Rock sounds (obviously more of the retro kind), the drums are consistently rocking and rumbling through the 11 songs, which reach from the under two minutes short and fast Rock 'n Roll songs like 'Ira' to more slower and heavier 10 minute monsters like the last cut 'Manhole', that pleases me with its doomy attitude.
Tracks like 'Ash' bring in the southern voodoo vibe, e.g. by using classic western sounds (fiddlers…). The vocals are clean but rough with a good portion of nicotine and whisky, just like good rock vocals should be, maybe sometimes a bit overdone, but that’s moaning on a high level. The sound fits to the attitude, the power and quality are good, the songs never loose their dirty garage feel without being dull or bad produced.
In general, the record tends to get a bit boring at times, but just when you are thinking about that, the next song changes your impression. 'Waste' is a very good Rock 'n Roll album that stands for rawness, heavy 70's Garage Rock and a dry southern attitude. If you're into that, then it's a must-have.
(Thomas Braun)