The Exploited--Beat 'Em All
MVD 2004
In the annals of punk history, few bands have been emulated as much as the Exploited have. Often immitated but never duplicated, the Exploited still have ten times the power of all those pretenders combined. If you need convincing of that fact, one viewing of Beat 'Em All should do the trick. Caustic and pissed off as ever, Wattie and crew aren't messing around on this outing.
Filmed before a huge crowd at the 2003 Metalmania festival in Poland, Beat 'Em All shows the Exploited firing on all cylinders. This isn't the original lineup of the band but that's of little consequence--the rhythm section of Wullie and Davey never miss a beat, guitarist Robbie serves up unrelentingly blistering axemanship throughout, and Wattie's fury drives it all. You get great takes of classics like "Troops Of Tomorrow" and "Let's Start A War," while the Bush/Cheney tandem get an earful from the guys on "Fuck the USA." It's 75 minutes of ferocity, with very little banter to bog things down--sharp and to the point, all the way.
Of course, this is the Exploited, so you knew you weren't going to get out of this thing without a little controversy. On Beat 'Em All's bonus interview, Wattie has some unkind words about Motorhead, stirred up by certain fans comparing the two bands. These guys don't appreciate the comparisons and let the interviewer know so. If you're a Motorhead fan, these moments are somewhat disheartening but not enough to ruin the great concert footage of the main program.
If you're a fan of any newer band who labels what they do as UK82 punk, Beat 'Em All is an essential document for you--regardless of whether you're hip to the Exploited or not. Of course, most people already know what they're going to get here, unless they've been living under a rock the last 25 years or so. You may have to check the controversy and politics at the door to do so, but the ultimate conclusion from watching Beat 'Em All should be that nobody is as good at this style of punk than the Exploited are. They really honor their legend with this performance. A winner.
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