Teen Mortgage – Devil Ultrasonic Dream | Album Review

In a raucous explosion of hardcore punk, Washington D.C. duo Teen Mortgage pay the rent in full on debut album Devil Ultrasonic Dream.

Known for their emphatic lyricism on society’s race from cradle to coffin, Teen Mortgage’s debut album Devil Ultrasonic Dream serves as a culmination of all their gripes with modern life. Taking inspiration from the Satanic Panic that swept through America in the 80’s for its title, the album arrives at a time when popular culture is similarly rife with divisive conspiracies seeking to oust those who don’t fit into a neat, specific mould. Described as embracing “the fantasy that Christian fascists don’t understand or want you to have” by frontman James Guile, Devil Ultrasonic Dream is a blast of surf rock, grunge and punchy hardcore punk from start to finish.

The titular opening track bursts through the gates with all the subtlety of a car tearing down the highway windows down and music blaring, immediately setting the tone for the album with furiously strummed riffs, pounding percussion and topped with a big 80’s metal guitar solo. With lyrics condemning the American military machine and their unwillingness to participate in it, ‘Party’ embodies the desire for escapism amidst times of armed conflict against a traditional, high-energy 70’s punk sound while also borrowing elements of surf rock for the melodic reverbed chorus. The discordant din of party horns playfully blended into the guitar tones throughout allow a glimpse into the band’s sense of humour, and perfectly encapsulate Teen Mortgage’s ability to pair serious messages with frenzied punk perfect for thrashing around and forgetting the nightmare of our current political climate.

A killer one-two punch comes in the album’s back half with ‘Control’ and ‘Box’. Whether competing with the fuzzy tremolo picked riffs and full-bodied percussion, or buried in layers of reverb and distortion, Guile’s lyrics aren’t always discernible on ‘Control’ or throughout the album, but this doesn’t dampen their impact. If anything, it amps up the visceral response to his innate frustration and allows an earned appreciation upon the demanded revisit that earworm ‘Box’ demands. The standout single has a hook catchy it’s easy to find yourself singing alongside him even if you haven’t figured the lyrics out yet. The pacing of the drums and crashing riffs on the chorus channel the familiar nostalgia of Green Day’s ‘Holiday’, while the distortion of the vocals against the frustrated instrumentation on both this track and ‘Lose My Mind’ are a nod to neighbouring Maryland natives Turnstile.

Clocking in at just shy of 27 minutes in its entirety Devil Ultrasonic Dream is on the shorter side, with just two of the eleven songs on the tracklist breaching the three-minute mark. However, the power of the album’s punch is arguably strengthened by its brevity. There’s no room for filler, it’s over and done in a blitz of punk madness and not a word is wasted in the process. There are fantastic elements all throughout this record: the tantalising, tension building riffs underpinning ‘Rip’, the grungey, coming-of-age sound of ‘Personal Hell’, even the sombre, grandiose closing track ‘I Don’t Want To Know’. Raging and rebelling every step of the way, Teen Mortgage have shown their debut album was waiting years for with a criticism of American authoritarianism expertly delivered in an onslaught on two-minute bangers.