Ultimatum (SMP album)

Ultimatum
Studio album by SMP
Released	May 12, 1998 (1998-05-12)
Studio	Unisect Studio (Portland, OR)
Genre	Industrial rock
Length	71:01
Label	Catastrophe
SMP chronology
Ultimatum EP 1.0 (1995) Ultimatum (1998) Terminal (2000)

Ultimatum is the second studio album by SMP, released on May 12, 1998 by Catastrophe Records.^[1] The album peaked at No. 19 on the CMJ RPM charts.^[2]

Reception

Aiding & Abetting compared the music of Ultimatum favorably to Devo and Ice-T and noted the stronger influence of techno music in SMP's compositions.^[3] A critic at Last Sigh Magazine commended the band's maturation as composers, saying "SMP is possibly the first band in the genre to actually present something different instead of the boring *4-on-the-floor* trademark that nearly every electro act today showcases."^[4] Sonic Boom praised the songwriting and musicianship and noted that although less abrasive than Stalemate "the true essence of SMP still remains to brutally assault you with powerful media unfriendly themes and pulse pounding music."^[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jason Bazinet and Sean Setterberg, except "Electric Prod" by Noxious Emotion

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Humanplayer"	1:10
2.	"Militia Love"	4:04
3.	"Nil Factor"	4:41
4.	"Success"	4:19
5.	"Intensity"	6:04
6.	"Pre-Emptive"	4:39
7.	"Fun & Games"	4:31
8.	"Born of Science" (Hybrid mix)	5:21
9.	"Riotstarter"	3:57
10.	"Negative"	4:25
11.	"Enemies"	4:42
12.	"Blackjack"	3:49
13.	"Electric Prod"	3:09
14.	"Dial M"	4:12
15.	"Topside"	4:50
16.	"Razed"	4:42
17.	"Gameover"	2:27

Personnel

Adapted from the Ultimatum liner notes.^[6]

SMP

• Jason Bazinet – lead vocals, drums, recording, mixing
• Sean Setterberg (as Sean Ivy) – drums, recording and mixing (3, 13, 16), programming and sampler (7, 13)
• Xian Di Marris – drums, design

Production and design

• Aaron Edge – design
• Chris Hanzsek – mastering
• Jeremy Moss – bass guitar and additional vocals (3)
• Matt Sharifi – programming
• Deirdre Wehrman – photography
• Mike Wimer – additional vocals (10)

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
United States	1998	Catastrophe	CD	CTR002
	2016	Music Ration Entertainment	DL

References

1. "SMP: Ultimatum > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
2. Helms, Colin (21 September 1998). "RPM" (PDF). CMJ New Music Report. 56 (588). Great Neck, NY: College Media, Inc.: 38. ISSN 0890-0795. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
3. Worley, Jon (September 28, 1998). "SMP". Aiding & Abetting (186). Retrieved November 28, 2019.
4. Alexander, Kim Ann (March 13, 1999). "SMP: Ultimatum". Last Sigh Magazine. Archived from the original on February 16, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
5. Christian, Chris (March 1998). "SMP: Ultimatum". Sonic Boom. 6 (2). Retrieved August 29, 2020.
6. Stalemate (booklet). SMP. Seattle, Washington: Catastrophe Records. 1998.

External links

• Ultimatum at iTunes
• Ultimatum at Discogs (list of releases)