In 2003, one might expect to find the members of
the Exploited in the dole queue farting and chuckling, or perhaps scraping their tired bones together for a reunion tour, where they'd unenthusiastically sing "Sex and Violence" for the fourth generation of Mohawked youngsters. Their main theme of chaos doesn't seem like it could possibly jibe well with adulthood. But it turns out these flabby, bald-headed punkers have plenty of bite left in them. In fact, on
Fuck the System, they sound like they could incinerate
Blink 182, beat
the Offspring to a pulp and leave them in a ditch, and plunder and rape
Sum 41. If nothing else,
the Exploited could certainly teach those pretty boy whippersnappers a couple of things.
Fuck the System rips from the earliest howl of the title track to its closing screech. It manages to be violent and catchy, while the lyrics are simple, though not crude. Wattie Buchan's vocals are intense like he means what he screams, and the band is tight, firing off blistering rounds of shrapnel-like punk rock. One could not ask for a more satisfying effort from a gaggle of wrinkly, old bastards. ~ Adam Bregman