Utilitarian is a three piece from Sheffield, UK – Jon Crowder (vocals), Jon Addams (bass), and Amara Wears (guitar and drums). Their newest E.P. “Stay Angry,” set to release November 6th, could not come at a better time. With many parts of the world literally on fire and so many voices being unheard and pushed to the fringes, Utilitarian sets the standard for the truths that need to be said right now. Utilitarian is angry, uncensored, and raw. “Stay Angry” opens up in explosive fashion with a track of the same name. Thick riffs furiously chugging beneath heated vocals screaming,
“Death to white supremacy
We all share a common enemy
Cancer in the system, built on state violence
State sponsored murder and white silence.”
The drums on “Stay Angry” are machine-fire in the din of shouts and quick picking. The song closes with a round of shouted “They can’t stop us all!” Next on the E.P. is an angrier, quicker cover of Doom’s “Police Bastard.” Police sirens wailing over distortion, and spitfire lyrics tumbling out at breakneck speed; Crowder yells, “Hiding in the shadows of their uniformed fear.” The song is over before you can shout, “ACAB!” The third track, titled “Anarchy (Justice Without Order),” is stuffed with catchy riffs and even catchier lyrics –
“Everyone’s a millionaire
Just temporarily poor
And when they won’t give us their toys
We treat them to a war.”
The guitar solo has a searing, metallic bite to it and the drums punch along with ferocity. The track closes with the sounds of people yelling. Track four is a cover of the Dead Kennedys’ 1987 song “Police Truck.” The quick echo of guitar at the beginning leads into thick-toned swirling riffs to accompany the mocking lyrics. Blast beats, squealing guitars, and a throat-ripping “ride how we ride!” The fifth track, “ACAB (Order Without Justice),” is the gem of this EP. It begins with the classic 2020 sentiment, “ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS!” This track features many, many names of people killed during police raids or while in police custody:
Roger Sylvester
Smiley Culture
Joy Gardner
Mzee Mohammed-Daley
Jimmy Mubenga
Trevor Smith
Mark Duggan
Cherry Groce
Dalian Atkinson
Cynthia Jarrett
Julian Cole
Sarah Reed
“SAY THEIR FUCKING NAMES!”
The scathing honesty of the lyrics, “Racist police for a racist country,” over chugging riffs gets the clenched fists growing white at the knuckles. It says a lot when truth being spoken feels refreshing. Stay Angry ends with a glaring “THERE IS ORDER, BUT THERE’S NO JUSTICE!”
“Stay Angry” is top-notch mix of Extreme Metal and Hardcore Punk that’s angry and real all around. This E.P. is exactly what I wanted to hear this month, and I can only hope countless others feel the same.
Rating – 5/5
https://utilitarianband.bandcamp.com/album/stay-angry-ep
https://www.facebook.com/utilitarianband/
If you haven’t heard their first release “Fight Wars, Not Wars. Destroy Power, Not People,” we highly recommend it.
The Metal Wanderlust 
You just sold one to me.
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