The fourth installation of Warrant’s first five albums is an interesting one. And I mean actually interesting, not interesting as in bad. In fact, there’s moments on the album that are some of Warrant’s absolute best. By 1995 the musical landscape had changed dramatically since the release of ‘Dirty, Rotten, Filthy, Stinkin’ Rich.’ And Warrant, like most of their peers were forced to change their sound. Some for the better, some not.
The case of Warrant’s ‘Ultraphobic’ puts it in the former of the two categories. As many bands tried to aclimate to their new musical surroundings, they lost their way. But Warrant seemed to grow under the circumstances. What they really did that was amazing was adopt Seattle sounding tropes while still retaining their SoCal vibes. ‘Ultraphobic’ stands as the ultimate testament of adapting yet retaining authenticity.
The first three tracks on the album: ‘Undertow,’ ‘Followed,’ and ‘Family Picnic,’ rank among Warrant’s best material in all of their years. Phat grooves, addictive riffs and original vocal melodies are the order of the day for these three excellent songs. ‘Sum of One’ brings in the mid tempo ballad with really catchy, heavy moments during the bridge. ‘Chameleon’ follows the same formula to more effectiveness. The melodramatic ballad and vocal modulations give the song a real cinematic feel. It’s a shame that the album wasn’t more successful.
‘Crawl Space’ is a classic hard rocker. A timeless piece of hard music that could fit any era of the genre. Same with the syncopated ‘Live Inside of You.’ ‘High’ is a perfect example of how Warrant have retained their excellent balladry from their earliest days. While also adapting to current music trends. ‘Ride #2’ is a pure, punk infused grunge piece. A track that could honestly belong on Soundgarden’s ‘Superunknown.’ In the best possible way. The title track keeps the grunge vibes going. But it’s like L.A. grunge. It’s hard to really describe honestly. The album closes with the intimate ‘Stronger Now.’ A personal, close ballad that utilizes Jani Lane’s ability to be vulnerable.
Overall ‘Ultraphobic’ can be argued to be Warrant’s best album. Unfortunately, people were so hung up on the band being from the 80’s they didn’t give the album a chance. It had some success, but ultimately died a quite commercial death. It remains one of the most underrated albums of the 90’s in any genre. Hopefully one day the album will get its due.
