Lately I have been tracing the origins of slam, and my research has taken me to the aptly-named Uncle Slam. They were a crossover thrash metal band from Beverly Hills, California. Jon Nelson and Amery Smith formed the group in 1984 shortly after they left Suicidal Tendencies. Their original name was Screaming Fetus, but they changed it to The Brood a short time later. Joining them were Todd Moyer on guitar and John Flitcraft on bass. As The Brood, they released a single self-titled full-length in 1986. One year later, Jon Nelson and John Flitcraft left the band. Amery and Todd got a new bassist in the form of Simon Oliver and renamed themselves to Uncle Slam. Working quickly, they released Say Uncle just one year later. They would go on to release two more full-lengths before breaking up in 1995.
The reason why I'm reviewing this album is because of one particular song, but I'll get to that later. Handling the production is Randy Burns. He produced some of the best metal albums of the 1980s, including Seven Churches by Possessed and Scream Bloody Gore by Death. He does a great job here as well. All of the elements can be heard clearly, including the bass.
Amery Smith is fantastic behind the drum kit. Both his mid-paced patterns and slow beats hit hard, and this impact is amplified by the exquisite snare sound. Double bass is often played during the galloping rhythms, such as those on "Up From Beneath". D-beats are also played on occasion, and there are certain moments when they almost sound like blast beats, such as on "Contaminated". Since Simon Oliver's bass is so prominent in the mix, his performance gives the music a groovy quality, something that can be heard on songs like "The Ugly Dude".
Todd Moyer handles vocal and guitar duties. He has a hoarse singing voice that was common in those days, but is still performed well. He also performs rapping vocals on "Micro Logic", which is an odd musical decision, but it managed to be better than something like "I'm the Man". His guitar work is much more interesting. Some of his palm-muted riffs are mid-paced and quite catchy, like those on "Micro Logic". Others are faster and more aggressive, like those on "Up From Beneath". The chord progressions have a strong hardcore punk influence. He also plays a few solos that have strong melodies. My favorites are the ones on "Executioner" and "Immolation".
The most noteworthy song is "Weirdo Man", not only because it's the best one on the album, but also because of its opening riff. That riff is the first slam riff ever recorded, or at least the earliest known one. It's also timeless, for it feels like it could have been composed yesterday. The crazy part is that the band probably had no idea they were making history. They just wanted to play a heavy and ominous riff to start off the album.
After repeated listens, Say Uncle has become one of my favorite thrash metal albums. Aside from "Weirdo Man" featuring the first slam riff, all the other songs have catchy and energetic music. The two other full-lengths that Uncle Slam released years later were decent, but they were never able to replicate the greatness found on here.