The Undeclinables

Their Greatest Adventures (as Undeclinable Ambuscade) (1997)

joe

Of all the mistakes that Brett Gurewitz and his label have made over the years, like giving the Matches to the mainstream (thanks a bunch), not pushing this Dutch five-piece and subsequently letting them go is one of the biggest.

It has come to my knowledge that a lot of Undeclinable's records aren't widely available in the US, and it's really a shame because they're one of the best skate-punk bands around (as far as I know they are still going strong). This was their debut full-length album and it probably wasn't their best, but they show a large amount of promise on …Greatest Adventures. They have a pretty raw edge to their sound, which could be described as a faster Millencolin or Pulley, and though it may not be truly innovative or unique, they also show that they could be diverse too - just check out the awesome "African Song" for proof, where they weld punk, ska and tribal beats into one 3-minute song.

Lyrically, they are not perfect, but you can forgive them for that, like you would with Millencolin or Bombshell Rocks, as the melodies and choruses are so catchy it becomes irrelevant. They have songs about drinking, songs about love, and songs about the daily struggle to make ends meet, but they never once turn boring.

If you're big into the old-school Epitaph sound, which I know some of you must be, then you need to endeavour to track these guys down. While it would be wisest to go with One For The Money first, this is also an album worthy of your time and attention.