No Guarantees

Whether they like it or not (and I can't shake the impression that they don't), The Spudmonster will mostly go down in history with their debut album. This "Stop the Madness" platter was a pretty decent concoction of M.O.D./S.O.D. styled crossover thrash with a copious amount of Exodus and Metallica riffing poured into the mix, and a sizeable dollop of kinda corny, but highly amusing humour thrown in. It gave us solid bangers like "Garbage Day" and the in my eyes indestructable "Repo Man". But then it became 1995, and The Spudmonsters decided they had enough of these shenanigans, and opted for a more serious approach. Out went the funny stuff, and with it the thrash metal/crossover style, going for a more New York hardcore approach to their sound.

So what did this mean for the sound on their second album? Well, things got indeed a lot more serious, that's for sure. While the production and some of the riffing still hinted at their past, the gang vocals and uptick in groovy midtempo stomp were decidedly looking towards bands such as Pro Pain, Biohazard and, because of vocalist Don's singing style, Cro Mags. It's passable enough, boasting a sturdy execution by dudes who know their way around their instruments sure enough, as well as the addition of metallic elements like double kick drumming and some great solo work popping up throughout. The earlier mentioned gang vocals add hooks aplenty, and the band alternates their midtempo stuff with faster sections well enough, making the album a varied effort for sure. It's a solid concoction, very 90's in sound and style, but they make it work for most part. It's just not as captivating as their debut, unfortunately.

I said earlier that they dropped the funny stuff of the debut for a more serious approach, both in presentation as lyrically, but not completely though. There are still a few lighthearted elements present, take the old timey crooner ending to "Dot Yer Eye" or the orchestra tuning up before "Haywire March", with this last one even being a total thrashing banger, by the way. I have to say that these moments sound somewhat out of place on a record that also has a track like "Blood from a Rock", that handles the subject of domestic violence. Weird choice, but alright, I guess.

Looking back at "No Guarantees", I have to say that this isn't a bad effort, but it is pretty dated by contemporary standards. The attitude the band presented themselves with, and with both the music and production (which still holds up, by the way), it simply screams 'the 90's!!!!', about as much as pogs and tribal tattoos do. Also, by 1995, we had plenty of these dead serious, streetwise metal and hardcore bands to go around, and looking back at it, most of 'em at that time just weren't any fun to begin with. Boggles the mind why The Spudmonsters (with a name like that) decided to throw in their hats with that crowd.