Uncertain Future - Shock the System (Reissue)

Uncertain Future

Shock the System (Reissue)

by Calen Nesten at 05 March 2015, 3:02 PM

It's really unfortunate when great bands fall under the radar, usually it's because of bad timing or they are doing something too out of the ordinary to capture a large audience. UNCERTAIN FUTURE is one of those bands. Coming out of the late 80's and early 90's, UNCERTAIN FUTURE was faced with a rapidly evolving music scene, and in spite of their hard work and dedication to the band, they never made a large impact. Maybe it was the fact that their album, “Shock the System” was released in 1992, a time when grunge, punk and hardcore were ruling the underground music world and everyone was a bit tired of the power-metal influx of the 80's. Regardless of what happened, UNCERTAIN FUTURE seemed to be tossed aside, not for lack of talent, but lack of recognition. I'll admit, I was a bit turned off when the first track played; it started with  a man yelling “rolling” and a poorly recorded intro that somehow managed to turn itself into a well put together song, titled “The Green”. The track has a prog-rock sound that reminds me of something Rush would produce and is easily my favorite of “Shock The System's” tracks. It's hard to pin an exact genre onto UNCERTAIN FUTURE's sound; they give off a power-metal feel, with the exception of a few songs. “Decade” has more of a thrash vibe, while “The Ride” and “Consequences” sound more inspired by grunge, which is impressive, considering the genre was relatively new at the time. “Shock the System” is finally being re-released this year, but only 500 copies are being printed, making this release, along with the original, a collector’s item. I have a feeling that UNCERTAIN FUTURE is cooking up some new surprises since bands rarely distribute old records, unless they are planning something. Until then, you will just have to search down a copy of “Shock the System” for yourselves; happy hunting!