THE EXPLOITED – Beat the Bastards

To celebrate the signing of punk legends The Exploited, Nuclear Blast have put together re-releases of their last 3 studio albums, all with bonus material. Apparently the band were also set to release a new album this year, although where that stands in the wake of Wattie’s heart attack isn’t entirely clear. It is expected this winter, so let’s hope Wattie’s health continues to improve and that release is available for our Christmas stockings.

‘Beat the Bastards’ was originally released in 1996. The production was much richer and thicker this time around, and it felt as if the band had more fully integrated their influences. The d-beat was back at the fore, with nary a Lombardo influence to be seen. While the Metallica/Exodus influence can be heard in the riffing, the choruses are more in the hardcore punk mould. From a personal point of view, I think it was a shame the band didn’t use a skank beat to add variety and speed in a few places on this record, but overall the chunky sound and well crafted choruses make this one a winner in my book.

This latest reissues comes with a bonus live DVD (which wasn’t part of the promo so I can’t comment on that).

http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/label/suche/ergebnis.html?page=1&keywords=the+exploited

http://www.the-exploited.net/