Yahoo! Music Review

Gig played on 13/04/08

Anger is the energy that drives Ulterior. Comprising two brothers from Nottingham, a Londoner and a Lithuanian, they are steeped in the influence of attack-minded music. The spluttering drum machines and primitive synths are pure Suicide. The air of icy aggression evokes Spacemen 3; the sullen, leather-clad image evokes the Jesus & Mary Chain; and the screaming guitar feedback evokes both. These are men of impeccable taste, clearly, and from the moment they appear onstage, you're immediately magnetised by their hostility.

Their mood certainly darkens quickly tonight. Ulterior strike up the first track's drum machine intro; decide it's not coming through loud enough; stop; and ask the soundman to fix it. Then the process repeats. As the false starts rack-up, the band's perfectionism becomes obvious, as does their commitment to all-out sonic warfare. Before long they're bristling with malevolence, and when the gig gets underway, so too is their sound. Even through a misfiring PA, Ulterior muster an extraordinary maelstrom of machine-gun beats (courtesy of Benn McGregor), shouted vocals (Paul McGregor), throbbing electro (Karl Januskevicius) and screeching guitar (Paul Simmons). It teeters thrillingly on the very brink of chaos.

Tonight Ulterior are playing The Dice Club, a fortnightly Old Street gathering that's slightly gothic, slightly burlesque and wholly excellent. It's generally frequented by what might be termed The Horrors crowd; tonight that includes head Horror Faris Badwan (there's a Klaxon here too). Thanks to an invite from Badwan, Ulterior recently got to play London's 2,000-capacity Astoria, supporting Faris and co, and they made the step up with ease. Before that, they'd landed a deal with Disc Error Recordings, home to the also excellent Ipso Facto. In late 2007, the "Weapons" 12" became Ulterior's debut release. The three-track follow-up is due shortly.

As befits a band whose confidence is surging, Ulterior overlook "Weapons" during tonight's short, sour set. Instead they drop some characteristically fierce new songs alongside the more familiar "Dream Dream" and "Fifteen", which will appear on the new single. "Fifteen" climaxes with Paul McGregor's repeated shouts of "No surrender!" (not to that tune, thankfully). As it subsides, there's a meaningful exchange of dark looks followed by a walk-off, doubtless prompted by the continuing technical malaise. They do return, for a blast through "The Death of Everything", but that too is angrily abandoned. It matters not: Ulterior's brilliance permits them the luxury of picking their battles, and victory will ultimately be theirs.

by Niall O'Keeffe