Reviews
RIOTOUS ASSEMBLY REVIEWS
Suspect Device Zine
One simply has to take ones hat off to Britt and the
boys for this, Asserts fourth full length c.d. which is as political and hard
arsed a hardcore sound you will find anywhere on our punk planet these days!
They really have become the masters of this intense full on wall of sound that
totally does blow you away!! I've reviewed loads of their stuff over the years
but I can't think that any of it has been as good as this twenty six minutes and
fifteen tracks. Almost in a class of their own after years of trying. GAZ SUSPECT.
Punktastic
Assert seem to have been known in the U.K. hardcore world for quite sometime.
Anyone who remembers Household name records before they started putting out release after release of ska-punk will probably have heard
Assert on either of their seven inches, the 'Left opposition' album or the couple of comps they put out in 97/98. This certainly is macho sounding
stuff, easily comparable to bands like Cro-mags or D.R.I. Assert play an old school influenced blend of hardcore thrash, with
aggressive vocals and a take no prisoners approach to their music. suppose two words to describe
them would be 'Political' and 'Proud'. The opening track 'Lean on me' is one of the best openers i've heard in some
time. It grabs you straight by the balls and throws you into a frenzy before calming down for one hell of a
catchy guitar line and mob chorus. '1,2,3,4, go!' is about as fast as it goes, with some blast beat action starting the song before thrusting into
some speedy hardcore and chanted 1,2,3,4, go! chorus' followed by a great guitar solo. The album continues in much the same
way. The energy levels remain high and the music is as danceable as it gets. If this does not get
you jumping around your room your obviously sat on a tube of superglue! 'Never forget you' is dedicated to Matty Roberts and old drummer Chris
Burleigh who tragically died a few years ago. The song manages to remain melodic while being a frantic slice of
thrash, something I really like to hear. There is even a bit of a metal sound creeping into 'Start a war' and 'Hang
'em high' with yet again some great guitar work. 'You set me on fire' sounds a bit like the kind of stuff Napalm Death are famous for- 1000 mph deeply
shouted 15 second numbers. This really is quite a diverse album within the hardcore and thrash
realm. In fact i would go as far to say that this album has pretty much everything you want to hear in a hardcore album; aggression,
passion, a sense of urgency, and a message. Its fast , but has some great melodic parts so i can't see it failing to
please. Hunt it down and you will find an album you'll certainly get a lot of listening from. PHIL. 4/5
Unfit for Consumption
Album number four from the U.K. hardcore punkers, and it's
absolutely excellent. Straight from the off you get slapped around the head as
Assert boot into song after song with a ferocious bite. Seriously, there is some
power behind these songs. Vocalist and band spokesman Britt is on top form, his
vocals sounding like a punked up, hardcored up Lemmy, delivering his political
beliefs as robustly as ever on the menacing 'Red beat and blood'. The guitarists
are equally on top form; check out the lead work and solos on '1,2,3,4, Go! ' or
the title track 'Riotous Assembly' and the riff on 'Popular uprising' and 'Never
forget you'. The latter having a brilliant melodic section fucked into its
110mph rattle. Elsewhere 'Blood bath' is sheer rage! . 'School of
assassins' is bloody amazing!! . The breakdown on 'Lean on me' is irresistible.
This is hardcore punk at its nastiest. The fact I own all four records by this
band speaks volumes for their brilliance. Trevor Meehan
Mass Movement #15
ferocious straight ahead and smack in the face of an
album that makes I.R. seem like a Sunday stroll in the park or like an unplugged
acoustic release. This is just a full on nihilistic assault on your ears that
shows the sheer class of the UK hardcore punk wrecking crew that is Assert.
Britt gets more like an angry rabid dog that once sinks his teeth in won’t let
go more and more as the years go by. Surely they can’t get more aggressive
than this? Then again I was wrong before and I’m sure I will be wrong again. E.
Tubbs.
Terrorizer Magazine
Whilst their previous albums have all been
thoroughly acceptable, I think it's fair to say that Assert have never really
captured their live fury adequately in the studio......until now. 'Riotous
Assembly', their fourth full length features not only the thickest production
the band have ever been blessed with, but finds them apparently more pissed off
than ever before, and not without reason; as well as a wealth of injustice all
around them to rage against, Assert have recently had to come to terms with much
more personal tragedy. The untimely death of their previous drummer the talented
Chris Burleigh, bringing the return of ex-Cancer sticks man Carl Stokes to the
fold. Whilst he probably is not as insanely fast as his predecessor, he
certainly knows how to nail a brutal rhythm , and he underpins this latest
collection of songs with frightening conviction. Whether it's the 18 second
blast that is 'You Set Me On Fire' or the psycho-groove of 'School Of
Assassins', this is Assert at their tightest and most intense, yet also their
most accessible and diverse. Somewhere equidistant between Agnostic Front and
The Exploited musically, although never losing sight of that experimental
eccentricity that has always set the band apart, it's a potent effort,
invigorating in it's manic aggression, inspiring with it's articulate focused
anger. Britt's lyrics are as demanding on the listener as ever , pointed and
specific as opposed to the vague personal politics so many modern punk bands
shroud their superficial 'rebellions' in, and it's all wrapped in striking
artwork by Needles from the underrated Scottish band Swellbellys, making
for an excellent slice of confrontational hardcore.
Ian Glasper.
Inside Knowledge
England's Assert! What can you say; spitting left
political ideas into the faces of the establishment the way bands did in the
late 70's and early 80's, but still with their furious and fast music. On their
fourth album Britt is (as you will know and feel) as angry as always. He's
violently slashing his way through songs like "Blood Bath",
"Start a War" and "Lying Stalinist Bastards". Some rough
times lay behind with being on a rip off label, and most important the death of
their drummer Chris. It's all fuel to the fire of Assert. It seems melodies are
trying to invade the concrete wall of Assert thrash which might bring some
exiting changes in the time to come. For now though, the Riotous Assembly has
come to bring the establishment down and Britt will be the new president. He's
got my vote! - Martijn Welzen.
Flex Your Head
There are times when you just want to thrash.
Not to metal, not to metalcore, but to some kick ass thrash punk. This new CD
from Assert will definitely satisfy the thirst for some hardcore punk mayhem. It
sounds as though the band has had a healthy dose of Discharge, Concrete Sox,
Heresy, and would have been right at home on the Earache label some 17 years
ago. The riffing on this shredding CD comes off as a wall of sound assaulting
your ears and is guaranteed to leave an impression on your pitiful soul. The UK
thrash barrage lineage continues with Assert, as Riotous Assembly is both
satisfying and as fulfilling as the early 80's Euro thrash. Crust? Almost.
Politically charged aggro punk? Absolutely. Assert even do Motorhead's "Ace
Of Spades" justice on here. - Brad
Mitchell.
INSURRECTION ROCKS REVIEWS
Terrorizer - Issue No.98
'Insurrection Rocks' marks the rebellious return of these hardcore punk rock aggressors.
Anyone who has seen Britt and co destroy an audience will confirm that Assert are a
fearsome live entity. The onslaught of their latest album lives up to their image, with no
safe refuge from their political retribution. Assert push their point across by
interfacing their agit lyrics with some incredibly catchy interludes. The title track is a
weird amalgamation of syncopated beats and breakaway mayhem fused with an unnervingly
addictive chorus. It's the type of song that rattles around in your head long after the
music has faded away. These boys stick to their guns, the under-championed breed of band
that simply hits the road and physically destroys fans up and down the country. Standing
by their convictions, they have fury and fierce determination in every phrase of their
knock-the-roof-down choruses and the bonus track 'Agitate, Educate' ropes in Napalm Death
barker Barney for a boisterous shout fest. On this album, Assert are determined to rattle
your apathy-right now!
Kerrang! - Issue 2nd Feb 2002
If, as US author and scenester Steven Blush suggests, hardcore is a dead art form, someone
has neglected to tell Assert. 'Insurrection Rocks' is a short, sharp- riot -in progress.
Falling halfway between the council estates of Britain and New York’s lower East
Side, it's a relentlessly venomous noise. Like Agnostic Front playing through
Motorhead’s amps, 'Forces of Victory' and 'Our time will Come' are as sure footed in
their intent as they are unstoppable in their sound; even the sonic boom that is 'You
can't stop us' threatens more violence in it's 17 second length than a dozen Californian
punk bands could muster in a lifetime of trying.14 tracks and one hell of an awesome
noise.
Metal Hammer - Issue Feb 2002
Assert's latest does exactly what you'd expect; assaults the ears and the brain with an
uncompromising barrage of characteristically British hardcore. Mixing it up with hefty
lumps of politico punk and good old fashioned thrash, Assert remind you of years gone by,
when music was unfettered by photographer friendly images, and instead relied on passion,
commitment, enthusiasm and hard work. They've got a simplistic approach- loud, fast,
uncomplicated and energetic. Songs that are straight to the point and waste no time
getting there, rarely lasting more than a couple of minutes-but then why should they?
Quality hardcore and well worth both your time and money-get it!