Formed by ex-Jesus Lizard/Tomahawk guitarist, Duane Denison, and ex-Ministry bassist, Paul Barker, U.S.S.A. have a debut album that melds stabbing rock rhythms, buzzed-out guitars and gutsy, agonized vocals. It lies somewhere between Soundgarden, Jesus Lizard and Faith No More and should appeal to those who like a dash of darkwave attitude in their music.Opener ‘Dead Voices’ has a buzzed-out walking bass lifted by an electric shock of guitar and Gary Call’s spooky Cobain-esque vocal. The track has a series of sudden alarming backing noises that really pin on it a threatening gloom. ‘Middletown’ is far rangier with grimy, wallowing guitars casting shadows in the verse before joining the menacing, bottom-end vocals in a sustain-fuelled choral wash. Just when you think it couldn’t get any bleaker, out comes the brooding ‘Sugarwater’ with a tortured, beating heart of bass, warping discordant vocals and even dampened double-kicked drums that pummel you into submission.It’s easy to get carried away here considering the well-worn path a lot of the album takes. But then it all sounds so accomplished, even if it does have a tendency to tie itself in knots with repetitious loops. The Spoils is not just a chance for any middle-aged grunger to finally get something new to listen to, the vitality at the core of the album could just be the very thing our disaffected youth have been crying out for. 81%Links U.S.S.A. [official site] [myspace]