The thing about Fucked And Bound’s debut LP Suffrage—arriving Friday on Atomic Action! Records—is that it’s incredibly addictive. Across 14 tracks, the band rages from start to finish with vicious rhythms, bombastic drumming, and savage vocals. Featuring members from He Whose Ox Is Gored (Lisa Mungo on vocals and Brian McClelland on guitar); Fucked And Bound is an explosive hardcore act that will have listeners hooked with their exhilarating presence. Even though the material clocks in around 23 minutes, listeners will find that the record packs a lot to enjoy throughout the work.
Compared to their sister band He Whose Ox Is Gored, Fucked And Bound is the complete opposite side of the coin. Whereas the former combines elements of sludge and doom, the latter is a direct blast of hardcore madness. Channeling such bands as Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Agnostic Front, Fucked And Bound goes full throttle from the very beginning, not giving a care about slowing down. From the repulsive beat down of instrumentation to the roaring vocals, this is a band planning on going for your throat. Joining Mungo and McClelland are bassist Curtis Parker and drummer Matt Chandler. Both feed into the frenzy with funky lines and pummeling adrenaline. McClelland takes off on wild rhythms of pure straightforward grit, with Mungo screeching like a bat out of hell.
“Wild Thing” goes by in a matter of 30 seconds, but lets loose a furious barrage of spite. Mungo's vocals burst forth with the drum beat and riffs, embodying a terrific punk vibe. “Get Inside” continues the brutal delivery, keeping the tempo at a consistent pace, allowing the energy to rage unhinged. “Dead Bop” is a ballistic treat that heads out on a warpath. Thrashing instrumentation accompanies shrieking vocals as each second explodes with clashing and tearing riffs. “0FUXX” is a straightforward vicious punk song, the guitar riding on electrifying adrenaline.
While “My Love” is still a solid dose of hardcore fury, the guitar work includes a little more distortion and drone in its sound, adding an extra layer of style to enjoy. “Creeps On The Street” is in no way subtle, calling out creepy ass dudes in each brutal scream. The drumming flies about in sporadic fashion, the guitar producing a sinister drive. “#GTFO” comes with a feisty whiplashing rhythm, the drumming crashing down as the vocals go all-out without taking a breath.
I don't know what's in the air over in Seattle, but damn they sure know how to bring the friggin' insanity! Suffrage is a joyous frenzy that just keeps feeding listeners treats with each track. It embodies a true hardcore grit, thanks to its blunt vocal delivery and annihilating instrumentation and its consistent drive. Given Mungo and McClelland's work in He Whose Ox Is Gored, it's remarkable to see what these two can create. You'll be hooked as soon as this record starts (you may even flip over a table or two). And when it's all said and done, you'll want to do it all over again.
Score: 9/10
