The Exploited - Punk's Not Dead
#181
By Bobby Bognar
The Exploited
Punk’s Not Dead
Genre: Punk
Allen’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Bobby’s Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Highlights:
Fuck The System
Royalty
Punk and Reggae have something in common to my ears: The line between good and shit is very thin.
Lucky for me, The Exploited lean to the good.
My first exposure to The Exploited was in Richmond, VA, as the name seemed to be stitched on to every punk rocker’s leather jacket. Their embroidered patches seemed to always be next to a Dead Kennedys or Mistfits logo.
When I was dipping my toes into hardcore music, seeing Bad Brains, Four Walls Falling, and Buffalo Style in the nightclubs in my town, The Exploited were always hanging around in the ether.
I always thought they sounded American as hell, and if it wasn’t for a few spoken breaks on their albums, I would never have realized they were Scottish. They definitely seemed more Minor Threat than Sex Pistols.
What makes punk rock listenable to me?
1) Songs
2) Energy
The Exploited was definitely at the top range of songwriting for the punk movement. “Mucky Pup” has interesting breaks, and a simple catchy chorus. “Dole Q” opens with a naked drum beat, followed by a bass line that Mike Dirnt obviously spent hours playing in his bedroom.
As for energy, there’s no doubt that these guys were actually angry. “Sex & Violence” is lacking those songwriting skills that are showcased on other tunes, but it’s one song where energy carries the day.
“Fuck The System” is easily the best song on the album to my ears, all piss & vinegar, set to what could have easily become the bed music to every movie scene ever to take place in a punk rock club.
Here’s the truth: Green Day and Bob Marley are easily identifiable as the “top of the food chain” of their respective genres. When you get down to second tier (but still very good) acts like The Exploited and Steel Pulse, the truth is that if you don’t like the first taste, you’re not going to like the rest of the sandwich.
Giving The Exploited a spin will tell you within 60 seconds whether or not this is a meal you’ll be happy to eat over and over again. Luckily, I have a taste for “Punk’s Not Dead,” and as such, will be happy to sit down to a table and dig in again and again.
https://open.spotify.com/album/0gnF0LzBQWEemZUMSrWKey?si=j_IqoxCbSzOHyxfrguQkbg
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