Ultimate success today

"In the press release accompanying the album, The Raincoats' Ana da Silva wrote that "there is darkness in the poetry of Ultimate Success Today... The theme of things ending, above all human existence, is present and reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy's The Road." To some extent, Ana's right, but the truth is that Protomartyr deal with something that's a far scarier proposition than anything McCarthy's fiction has ever dealt with: real life, in the real world. Sometimes that can be the scariest thing of all, but as always, Protomartyr offer a little catharsis in the midst of it all, and Ultimate Success Today is their most cathartic statement to date".

Read review

"On their fifth album, the Detroit post-punk band recruits a woodwind section for its most expansive statement yet ... Casey, having already plumbed the depths of sorrow, still has room to go deeper as Protomartyr's sound continues to become much richer and more rewarding".

Read review

"Protomartyr ... der [er] utrolig meget at komme efter på Ultimate Success Today. Det stilskiftende overflødighedshorn er en fornøjelse at lytte til, men samtidig er de skæve vinkler desværre også pladens hæmsko. Det er for ofte, at man sidder tilbage med en tom fornemmelse på ellers udmærkede sange (...) Og selvom riffs og saxofon holder turen hele vejen igennem på 'Processed By The Boys', bliver omkvædet kun halvt hængende i hovedet. Og det er ret træls, når det er tydeligt, at Joe Casey og vennerne faktisk har noget på hjerte ... trods et forrygende sammenspil og en virkelig god produktion - bliver Ultimate Success Today desværre kun en moderat succes".

Read review

"Album of the week" - "With stadium rock riffs and saxophone over lyrics about riots and respirators, the Detroit post-punks are the soundtrack of an uncertain future".

Read review