Vim Fuego I bought this album in 1991 on the same day I bought Metallica's "Black" album. Guess which one of the two I go back to now and again? Here’s a hint: it doesn’t have “Enter Sandman” on it.

This album should appeal to any thrash fans disappointed by the direction taken by Metallica et al., along with punkers in the GBH/Discharge mould. Musically, it's straight ahead three chord, no–time–for–solos, high speed dirty rough punk rock. You're not going to get any acoustic ballads out of The Exploited. Thank fuck for that!

If your idea of punk is Green Day, Blink 182, or The Offspring, this will make you piss your pants, and run for the comfort of your mother's apron. Gone are the sweet little melodies crafted in the Californian sun. There are no songs about girlfriends (well, unless you count “Porno Slut”…), teenage problems, or fucking dogs. This is pure anger, spat out with an almost unequalled fury. Mohawked punk legend Wattie is a man who knows the inside of a prison cell and has experienced the stark, brutal realities of life. And he knows just who to blame for it– the governments of the world, and their militaristic puppets in the police force and army. The song titles — “Boys in Blue”, “Dog Soldier”, “Fuck Religion”, “Police Shit”, “Stop the Slaughter” — leave little doubt who they're aimed at.

While Wattie and his crew are no angels, there are certain members of society which sicken them. “Sick Bastard” has paedophiles and those who brutalise the elderly fair in its sights. “Don't Pay The Poll Tax” is another highlight. While the tax has been forgotten as a bad joke, hearing Wattie urge listeners to "Stick it up her ass" referring to Margaret Thatcher, remains as a highlight of the album. It leaves rather a disturbing mental image though…

If you want pure unbridled anger, skip the death metal section and go with this. This IS punk.

Vim Fuego Punk was a mouthpiece for the disaffected of the late 70s which got hijacked by bored middle class teens. While most bands broke up or changed directions in the early 80s, an energetic anger filled young outfit was just starting out. Fifteen years after their humble beginnings in the punk underground, The Exploited unleashed the aural hurricane of ‘Beat The Bastards’ on an unsuspecting world.

Margaret Thatcher and the Tories were history. Unemployment was not the problem it had once been. Britain as a whole seemed a much happier place to live in than in 1981. But was it? After 15 years in the anarchy business, Exploited main man Wattie Buchan had developed anti–rose coloured glasses, seeing problems and societal decay where others saw happiness and light. The police were still getting up Wattie's nose. "There's a law for the rich/A law for people like you and me", "Nazi law, Tory law/It's just the fucking same" and "Police TV/Categorising me" leave the listener in no doubt of Wattie's feelings toward the old bill and the justice system. And while Maggie Thatcher was no longer in power, the Tories still were. Crime, corruption, poverty, unemployment, even depression all came to bear under Wattie's astute semi–sociological gaze.

The Exploited were never going to be a band to go pop, like say The Clash or The Buzzcocks. Instead, the sound has been beefed up considerably for this album thanks to a Colin Richardson production job. The riffs here are simple and as punk as ever, but the added depth and crunch in the sound lead to a thrash metal feel to the whole thing. There is the odd sparse solo, and some excellent scene setting samples (especially on “Massacre Of Innocents”), but the music is really just a backdrop to emphasise Wattie's distinctive well worn shout. And what a shout it is. None of the anger had dissipated from his voice after 15 years. If anything, the vocals were stronger and clearer than ever.

Always consistent and always angry, The Exploited produced one of the most memorable albums of the mid 1990s. Punk's not dead. There's plenty of bite left in the old bastard yet.