New Hope for the Dead

You’re forgiven if you gave up waiting on UK Decay’s “comeback” album. Technically, there hasn’t been a full-length release from these theatrical punks since UK Decay's 1981 debut album, For Madmen Only; there was just the 1982 EP The Rising from the Dead after that point. So 30-plus years later, singer/guitarist Abbo, five-string guitarist/keyboardist Steve Spon, bassist Eddie Branco, and drummer Raymondo are back. And they're playing with purpose, as if they’d never stopped in the first place. “Heavy Metal Jews” and “Next Generation” prove that UK Decay has plenty of liberal social commentary to make, while “Killer” castigates U.S. foreign policy in no uncertain terms. The tracks range from artsy-vague-reggae to power chords and steaming solos, with “This City Is a Cage” adding new twists to the latter form. Lest things get too heavy, “Woman with a Black Heart” offers the humorous and practical advice that one should never have sex with someone crazier than oneself. One thing you can know for sure is that UK Decay has had plenty of time to think about what it wants to say.