My first impression of the Subhumans was based on their interesting instrumentals. They are clearly a punk band with balls.

Gerry Hannah, the bassist, known as ‘Nature Punk,’ has been linked to a political group known as “Direct Action.” They blew up an environmentally unfriendly power plant. Hannah was sentenced to prison for 10 years. Now that’s what I call punk. A band that actually believes in what they write about.

This CD makes me pay attention to the lyrics instead of dismissing them and just jumping around to the punk sounds. I like the political nature of the album. Yes, this has been done many times before, however it’s far from boring and repetitive this time: “The experts all agree on what we shouldn’t see / Don’t look at the bloody mess that’s under the debris.”

The Subhumans have been an established band since 1978 and have their roots well and truly planted in the early days of punk. Subhumans are no bandwagon jumpers or sellouts; they just give a realistic commentary on society today.

New Dark Age Parade is a CD that I would use to welcome someone who has been living in a black hole for the past 30 years. A voice of truth and reason, Subhumans haven’t sugar-coated the corrupt spoon-fed society we live in. I would expect people to whom I handed the CD to turn around and run back.

Brian Gobles’ vocals are rough and gritty with a piercing tone of understanding and awareness. I would encourage you to invest in this CD, not only because it’s an impressive piece of work, but also because it’s a record that says a lot about the way we live and accept certain “truths.”

If you do purchase the album and like what you hear, Subhumans are playing in Toronto on October 21 at Lee’s Palace.

Amy Brooks
The Imprint (University of Waterloo)
September 15th, 2006