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| Pitchfork |
 For some, Urge Overkill earned their place in history as gadflies in Chicago's indie rock scene during the turn of the 1990s-- releasing LPs on Touch and Go, coining the term "Guyville," being on the receiving end of Steve Albini's most withering insults. But then, their masterful 1993 sellout bid Saturation proved that their true talents were wasted on indie rock's ideals. As the opening act on both the era-defining Vs. and Nevermind tours, UO incongruously embraced the pursuit of fame and groupies. They rocked leisure suits, wore dinner-plate logo medallions, and crafted ostentatious Cheap Trick hooks. Much like the Hives or the Darkness a decade later, many wondered, "Do they really mean it?" but their stylized image was less cynical branding than a necessary multimedia confluence. Their music simply wouldn't have been convincing coming from guys in jeans and t-shirts. Unfortunately, the bummed burnout of the underrated 1995 album Exit the Dragon proved prophetic, and it was the last thing we'd hear from them until now. That was 16 years ago.Unlike Windy City lightning rods Liz Phair and Billy Corgan, Urge can essentially show up in 2011 as if nothing happened in the interim, their legacy almost completely unaffected one way or the other. And Rock & Roll Submarine finds them sounding like themselves, which is refreshing if only because no one else does. Nash Kato once sang, "only booze improves with age," on all-time tearjerker "View of the Rain", but as vocalists, he and King Roeser come off the rack perfectly intact. And while the studio session lifers taking over the rhythm section surely lack the Q rating original drummer Blackie Onassis brought to the table, in terms of sheer musicianship, he was replaceable. In a surprising move for a band that always made space for in-jokes and grand self-mythology, Rock & Roll Submarine makes no reference whatsoever to the hiatus or gives any indication that the decade and a half was spent fussing over the material or anticipating a kingmaking comeback. Though of a much higher fidelity than their T&G releases, Submarine charges head-down with one-take immediacy, lean and strictly business. It's workmanlike and yet unlabored, with most tracks clocking under three and a half minutes and little thought given to overdubs, solos, or their often affecting acoustic side....full text |
| Depthoffieldzine |
| Yes, this album is called Rock & Roll Submarine. It’s a ridiculous title, and that’s only fitting; Urge Overkill, better than most anyone, have always personified and reveled in the inherent absurdities of rock and roll. And they’ve finally returned. It’s been fifteen years since their last album, but aside from now being able to travel underwater, they haven’t changed a bit. They’ve brought thundering drums, huge riffs, catchy tunes, interweaving lead vocals, and they sound every bit as unique and out of place in today’s world as they did in the last millennium. There’s no irony here, no carefully calculated distance from the subject matter, no excuses being made… Just twelve tunes and 39 minutes of being awesome, with guitars. Urge’s vocals are still among the best in the business; Eddie Roeser’s snarl and Nash Kato’s velvet tones fit together perfectly. The songs are catchy and dynamic, strutting, stomping, and staggering in turn. The production is phenomenal, each strum and breath and searing lick fitting just right in the mix, the close harmonies of guitars and vocals working so well that they pass by nearly unnoticed. And there’s a fantastic sense of dynamics, tunes breaking down into intimate whispers before building back up to tsunamis of noise and glorious excess. It’s the sound of a great band doing what they do best: having a blast, wholeheartedly embracing the brilliant unreality of making music....full text |
| Crawdaddy |
| A lot has changed in the music industry in the 16 years since Urge Overkill put out a new record. All the changing trends and technological advances of the last few years blow away like dead leaves on the roadside with the arrival of Rock & Roll Submarine, a blazing, bloody-knuckled monolith of monster riffs executed with utmost precision. Right from the start, the band comes bounding out of their corner, still in fighting shape and virtually exploding with more energy than most bands half their age. It’s a perilous dichotomy faced by artists who continue playing hard-rock well into their 40s and 50s and beyond. Balancing years of hard-won knowledge and experience with whatever shred of youthful energy you might have left—or might be reduced to faking in order to pull it off convincingly—is no easy feat. A lot of dudes embarrass themselves in the process. Not to worry. Urge Overkill nails it and makes it sound easy. It must be in their blood. Not many artists can return from a decade and a half hiatus and hit the ground running, firing on all pistons like they never went away and never aged a day. Urge Overkill sounds as good as ever on the Rock & Roll Submarine, at times even pushing their wicked, growling vocal harmonies and distorted guitar tones past the brink of anything they’ve done before. With menacing bass and guitar lines linked and lashing in unison like a chain of fire accompanying the raspy gravel harmonies of Nash Kato and Eddie Roeser, the opening track, “Mason/Dixon”, is hooky, heavy, and haunting. Call it “sinister-pop.” The title track poses the question: “Do I have to spell it out again? This time with attitude?” Upon further thought, our protagonist answers his own question when he claims “I know a better way” and drops in a Stooges riff with a wink and a nod. This band always had a gift for blending the best in pop sensibilities with 10-feet-tall power chords and punk energy. That winning combination is stronger than ever on Rock & Roll Submarine, with just a dash of grey-streaked humor thrown in for good measure....full text |
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