Single Review: Consumed – A Decade Of No EP

The first new EP from Nottingham punk rock veterans Consumed is just over the horizon, it will feature six brand new tracks, including the single What Would Cliff Burton Do?, and will be coming out on July 13th on CD and vinyl via Umlaut Records and SBAM in the EU. Formed in Nottingham in 1994, Consumed gained mainstream success when they were signed to Fat Wreck Chords who released Breakfast At Pappas in 1998 and Hit For Six in 1999. Since Pistols at Dawn in 2002 the band have gone silent on the release front…until now, A Decade of No will be the first Consumed release in 16 years, as an added bonus the vinyl will also feature three exclusive unreleased tracks from Pistols at Dawn. 

I remember Consumed the first time around, I caught them several times during their Fat Wreck Chords days and now they’re back, sometimes the resurrection of a band isn’t always a good thing as I’ve encountered a fair few bands whose reunions haven’t lived up their past, so is this is a case of a band picking up where they left off or trading on former glories? The opening bars of Wake Up Warning answer that question for you, as Consumed are well and truly back as this is the kind of punk rock they did so well almost two decades ago.  Every track smacks you between the eyes with the kind of frantic punk rock that was the band’s trademark.

If you loved Consumed back in the day then this will be a welcome reunion as this is no jaded reunion or mid life crisis, every track on A Decade Of No is the kind of smart and witty punk rock that grabbed the attention of Fat Wreck Chords two decades ago. The band released the single What Would Cliff Burton Do? ahead of the EP ‘s release, normally the single is the strongest track to hook people into the EP, but A Decade Of No sounds like half a dozen singles as every track hits the spot. I don’t where Consumed have been for the last sixteen years, but I’m glad they’re back as they’ve returned from their self imposed hiatus with an EP that’s up there with their best releases.

A Decade Of No can be pre-ordered via Umlaut Records here