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SUPERSUCKERS
Get The Hell

Acetate (2014)
Rating: 9/10

The Supersuckers are probably the best rock band to never get widespread attention. The Seattle-based band has spent two and a half decades on the cusp of next-big-thingdom, without ever crossing into mainstream success.

The reason for this seems fairly obvious. The Supersuckers bow to nothing – not money, not fame and certainly not the fickle whims of the music industry. Instead, the band crashes into 2014 with Get The Hell, a loud, punk-fueled platter of distortion that reminds fans exactly why frontman Eddie Spaghetti and his brothers in arms are the tonic rock music needs to remain vital and dangerous.

On first listen, you may be surprised to find there are none of the cowpunk country influences that are prevalent on some of the Supersuckers’ best-selling releases, as well as Spaghetti’s solo work. Instead, the album comes on like a raging bull with the anthem ‘Get The Hell’ as the first of 12 hard rocking attacks, not counting an intro track comprised of sirens and crowd noise. From the first song the band proves their devil may care reputation is in full force as the listener is prompted to “Get the hell out of here right now!”. This bombastic, fun song sets the stage for a high energy album.

There are no low points on Get The Hell. Even the band’s take on a love song, ‘Something About You’, is a hard rocking number that falls somewhere between Bad Religion and Nashville Pussy. ‘Pushin’ Thru’ drives forward with a power and southern rock tinge that would make Social Distortion jealous. ‘Shut Your Face’ rocks with a Turbonegro swagger, while the influence of a young AC/DC is apparent on ‘Gluttonous’.

Each of the tracks included in this set of high octane rock are uptempo and high energy. At no point does the band slow down to give the listener a chance to catch up. Instead, these songs bully their way forward like a fat guy on the way to his favorite buffet restaurant.

While the Supersuckers have always done as they please, they still manage to surprise. In this case, their choice of cover songs is almost mind boggling. The band takes on Depeche Mode’s ‘Never Let Me Down Again’, and make it fit perfectly in to the Supersuckers catalogue. What was once among the crown jewels of the kings of electric pop now has an attitude that mixes AC/DC and the Dead Boys as a raucous rock number. Get The Hell closes with a version of Gary Glitter’s ‘Rock On’, the anthem now a barroom rocker with muscle and energy. Neither of these songs come to mind in their original form when considering the Supersuckers, but the band has made them their own, performing them in a way only the Supersuckers can.

Get The Hell won’t be the most technically adept album to enter the field of heavy rock in 2014, but it will certainly be remembered as one of the most fun; these songs are a party waiting to happen. The Supersuckers have proved time and time again that they are one of the best rock bands in the world. Get The Hell proves that they are still in fine form, and very much on top of their game. It’s only January, and I’m convinced one of the best albums of 2014 has already been released.

Jim McDonald

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