Progress
Progress gives Ultraspank's heavy guitar sound a strong melodic centre. Pete Murray's singing can rise above the substantial riffs, while smaller electronic touches add atmosphere around the playing. The band's main appeal is still its physical impact, but the more varied arrangements show useful possibilities beyond a straightforward set of heavy songs.
Push makes a direct introduction through firm guitar chords and a more open vocal melody. Crumble develops a less immediate atmosphere, with uneasy guitar parts contributing to a larger build. The eventual heavier release gives that tension a clear purpose rather than leaving it as background texture.
Feed provides another way to change the sound. Its cello part adds a different instrumental colour to the guitars, creating a useful point of contrast. Click suggests a stronger electronic direction, with a rhythmic character that could support a more adventurous use of the band's production ideas.
Left brings the guitar and voice together particularly well. Its plucked verse figure gives Murray a more distinctive setting, while the broader chord movement allows the melody to make an impression. The playing is recognisable as nu metal, but the song has enough character to hold attention within that style.
Where offers a quieter contrast through acoustic guitar. The accompaniment leaves room for the singing, allowing Murray to carry the emotional weight without competing against the heavier sound.
The limitation is that Progress does not always develop its wider ideas far enough. Some riffs remain very familiar, and the electronic elements can seem like additions to the metal rather than a fully integrated direction. The instrumental performances are committed, but they do not automatically make every song distinctive.
Still, the vocal melodies and shifts in texture give the record more appeal than its least adventurous passages suggest. Ultraspank are strongest when they let a smaller musical detail change the character of the heavy playing. Progress contains several convincing examples, even if the complete album stops short of making them a consistent approach.
