ALBUM REVIEW: Suffrage (re-issue) – Fucked And Bound
There aren’t really any prizes for guessing that a band with a name like FUCKED AND BOUND are pretty intense. The Seattle-based quartet have been raising sonic hell since their formation in 2018. They describe themselves as “an outlet for those who seek solace in the filth and the fire, whose cynicism has grown out of disappointed idealism, who carry a bloody, sharpened ax to grind with the powers that be.” All this is delivered in a melting pot of musical savagery which evokes the likes of CONVERGE, WAR ON WOMEN and TRAP THEM, among others.
Suffrage is FUCKED AND BOUND’s debut full-length. Originally released in 2018, it’s now being re-issued by Quiet Panic with an extra track and some new artwork. The album clocks in at just over 22 minutes, and as one might expect from the comparative points mentioned, it makes for a wild and visceral ride. The band make their chaotic intentions clear from the get-go, kicking off with the blistering 34 second Wild Thing. It’s a short (obviously), sharp track which sits firmly in the vein of the raucous anger of hardcore’s earliest days.
It’s hard to talk about FUCKED AND BOUND without highlighting the band’s frontwoman, Lisa Mungo. Mungo demands her listeners’ attention from the very first seconds of Wild Thing onwards. Throughout the record, her voice overflows with an unhinged rage as she screams fierce, politically-charged lyrics. It’s an intense performance that’s well-matched to the music and draws comparisons to the bile-filled hatred of LINGUA IGNOTA. The trio behind her also bring their A-game. Bassist Rah Davis adds a chunky low end, while Brian McClelland‘s buzzsaw guitars bring razor-sharp savagery. Beneath them, drummer Matt Chandler maintains the energy with rapid D-beats and fast-paced fills.
One thing that it is fair to say about Suffrage is that Mungo’s vocals aren’t always that easy to understand. As mentioned, they are intensely abrasive, and sometimes sit quite low in the mix. That said, she does offer up a few hooks which listeners are sure to scream or shout along to. While it would be a stretch to call these catchy, they’re definitely pretty memorable. Prime examples include the call and response of “Zero… Fucks, Fucks, Fucks!” on Zero Fucks, Mungo’s repeated cries of “I will tear it apart!” on My Love, and the titular hook on ninth track Creeps On The Streets.
Some may find it difficult to pick out individual highlights on Suffrage. FUCKED AND BOUND maintain a consistent throat-grabbing vitriol for the record’s entire runtime, to the point where it can almost wash over its listeners. That said, there are a few tracks which stand out as particularly strong examples of the band’s sheer ferocity. One is the already-mentioned Zero Fucks. In keeping with the rest of the record, it’s a short, fast-paced and visceral piece, with another spite-filled performance from Mungo. Other absolute ragers include the record’s fourth, seventh and tenth tracks, Terror, Party Void and GTFO respectively.
The extra track on this re-issue of Suffrage is a cover of SONIC YOUTH‘s Kool Thing. A scathing, sarcastic social commentary, it’s a good fit for FUCKED AND BOUND. They also make it their own, cutting the song’s runtime in half and adding some serious grit. While it does see Mungo opt for cleaner vocals at points – the only moments on the record where she does so – her far harsher stylings also help to set it apart.
While it’s not a long record, Suffrage probably wouldn’t get away with being much longer. All the songs tear along at a breakneck pace, and the quartet don’t seem that interested in concepts like dynamics or melody. As a result, it makes for quite the oppressive listen. Fortunately, the band are clearly aware of this, getting out just as things start to feel a bit much. They also end on an absolute blinder. Closer Abuse Of Registry is the longest song on the record by some way, and significantly more mid-paced than the rest of the tracks. It features squalling feedback and a real stomp for a song that’s deeply reminiscent of CONVERGE when they slow things down. It’s quite the finale, although one can’t help but wonder if it would have benefited the album even more had it been placed a little earlier for greater variation.
Ultimately, Suffrage is definitely a success for FUCKED AND BOUND. It’s a vicious, violent record from a band who clearly have plenty to say. They might not win any prizes for originality, but that’s not exactly the point. Sometimes you just want a record you can throw on to let out some anger and bang your head to, and in that regard Suffrage makes for a solid choice.
Rating: 8/10
Suffrage (re-issue) is set for release on December 18th via Quiet Panic.
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