ALBUM REVIEW: Human Obsolescence – Shame On Youth!
SHAME ON YOUTH! are a band founded on the clash of their members’ backgrounds in hardcore punk and garage rock. While there are clear differences between the two genres, there’s no denying a common thread that was sure to make the combination work well. Both focus far more on raw energy than over the top musical skill or technicality. Both lend themselves to relatively straightforward production and simple line-ups of guitars, vocals, bass and drums. Perhaps most importantly of all though is the fact that both can be loads of fun when bands get it right. That’s definitely the case with this Italian four-piece.
SHAME ON YOUTH! have been around since 2015, releasing a self-produced demo, entitled Zero, in 2017. Now, after more than five years as a band, they’ve finally crafted their debut full-length album, Human Obsolescence. As one might expect from the band members’ musical history, the results are raw, raucous and primal. Over the course of the record’s 31 minute runtime, SHAME ON YOUTH! draw comparisons to a host of bands united in their ability to create fiery, energetic music which gets straight to the point. At times, they bring to mind the driving catchy hardcore of a band like THE BRONX. At others, they’re more reminiscent of genre pioneers like BLACK FLAG or CIRCLE JERKS. The band also often exhibit the more stoner rock tendencies of the likes of CLUTCH or QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE.
The opening tracks on Human Obsolescence are definitely among the strongest. The first, Got No Choice, is a mid-paced rocker with driving drums, distorted guitars and gang vocals which turn the song’s title into a hook. It also features a cool bass and drum-led verse which really hits home the album’s primal feel. The second, The Show Must Go Wrong, may well be the best on the record. It’s a bouncy rager of a track, with a simple but memorable main riff and an impressive guitar solo. It’s pretty straightforward stuff, but that doesn’t stop it being a fun song that’s sure to go down well live.
Another highlight is the album’s fourth track Mr. Crasher. Again, it’s a raucous, riff-heavy track which tears along at a decent pace. It also features one of the most impressive vocal performances on the record. Both guitarists Tomas Menapace and Georg Pomarolli, as well as bassist Matteo Cova, handle vocals on Human Obsolescence. It’s not entirely clear who tackles what, but whoever takes the lead on Mr. Crasher does a particularly good job. The vocals are strong throughout the rest of the record too, but there are a couple of moments which don’t land quite as well as they could. That said, it’s important to remember that SHAME ON YOUTH! are presumably singing in their second language, something which always deserves our respect.
It’s no great surprise that the production on Human Obsolescence is pretty simple. That isn’t to say things are muddy or unclear, but rather that the record has a real raw, live feel. There are few, if any overdubs or complicated production tricks on the album. Instead, SHAME ON YOUTH! make their considerable racket using their four instruments and three vocalists alone. It’s a good fit with the music, as it almost feels like you could be in the room with them as you listen.
It’s probably fair to criticise Human Obsolescence for being a little bit samey. Even at 31 minutes, it does struggle to maintain interest at points, particularly around the seventh track, Fluke Of Faith. Fortunately for SHAME ON YOUTH!, the album ends on another strong pair of tracks. Both Premium 9,99 and Demons Are Right are in keeping with much of what’s come before, but both are done well enough to leave listeners pretty happy. The former definitely hits home some of those comparisons to THE BRONX mentioned earlier. The latter serves as a final burst of energy, with another impressive guitar solo and some cool harmonised riffs and leads.
Listening to Human Obsolescence, it doesn’t really feel like SHAME ON YOUTH! are interested in being ground-breaking, or even complicated. Instead the four-piece offer up a fun and energetic record, clearly made with real love. The result feels like a great album to drink a few beers to. More importantly, if the band can capture the record’s same energy in a live setting, they’ll definitely be worth checking out when we finally get gigs back.
Rating: 7/10
Human Obsolescence is is out now via Go Down Records.
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