Subhumans — From The Cradle To The Grave
Original released in the year 1983 From The Cradle To The Grave was the second full-length album from British Anarcho-punk/ hardcore punk band Subhumans. It’s a ten-track album that saw the four-piece tightening up and expanding their sound- with the album's original first side featuring a selection of short/ mid-range songs, and on the second side there's a single/ epic punk-meets-prog track. Here from Pirates Press Records- as either a Vinyl LP, or CD reissue of the album. For this review, I’m covering the CD version.
The CD comes presented in a monochrome mini gatefold. This takes in the original album art- of a cow-grazing photo landscape overlaid with a drawing of a hand with a walking baby in it. As well as the CD, we get a mini poster of the cover artwork and full lyrics with the release.
Subhumans began life in 1980 in Warminster, Wiltshire. With its first line-up bringing together Dick Lucas-lead vocals. Bruce Treasure – guitar & backing vocals. Grant Jackson – bass, and Andy Gale – drums. The band’s initially run between the years 1980 & 1985. They released four studio albums- The Day the Country Died (1983), From The Cradle To The Grave(1983), Worlds Apart (1985), and 29:29 Split Vision (1986). As well as six EP’s Demolition War (1981), Reasons for Existence (1982), Religious Wars (1982), Evolution (1983), Time Flies... but Aeroplanes Crash (1983), and Rats (1984). Alongside the likes of Crass & Conflict, (The) Subhumans are seen as one of the most important/ influential of the early 80’s UK Anarcho-punk genre. They gave their own twist/ take on the genre- yes it was expectedly raging at times bleak- but there were traces of melody, humour, playfulness, and subtle/ low-key genre blending in the band’s sound.
So, the album neatly splits itself in two- the first side features nine tracks, with runtimes between forty-four seconds & five minutes. Then the second side we have the just shy of seventeen-minute title track. We go from punk chug meets gunning rock of “Forget”, onto ramshackle hardcore with sailing guitar tones “Reality Is Waiting For A Bus”. Through to the slugging groove discord meets cascading grey art rock atmospherics of “Adversity”.
With the album playing out with the epic title track- which is a decidedly punk prog affair. Over its length, it moves from gunning to churning moodiness, through to strutting punk reggae, onto bass-bound prog bridges & gloom chugs. Through to tense militant drum snare ‘n’ guitar snipping, through slower wailing & moody breakdowns singed with blues rock soloing.
While From The Cradle To The Grave album may lack some of the more memorable and recognisable edges of the debut album. There is more experimentation going on here, as the band try to push their sound down different avenues- and while some of it doesn’t full work/ is a little sonically naive- it’s a good enough second album.