With its ragged guitars, yelped, semi-tuneful vocals, and loose, occasionally arhythmic percussion,
Conviction lives up to its title. Although not nearly as raw as some of
Ut's earliest recordings, this is still pretty intimidating stuff and definitely not for the faint of heart or those requiring great amounts of skilled musicianship. There's a
Patti Smith style to much of the singing that's comforting even when the lyrics become fragmented, stylized and incomprehensible. ~ John Dougan