Punk Rock Supergroup, Ultrabomb, Announce New Album This Month With 'Artificial Stars'
- Jasmine Fuentes
- Aug 4, 2025
- 2 min read
Ultrabomb (featuring members of Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, Social Distortion) announce a new album by way of single Artificial Stars. This single delivers Ultrabomb's signature blend of grit, melody, and tenacity - drawing from decades of lived punk experience while confronting themes of isolation, endurance, and the drive to keep reaching forward even in uncertain times; the historically punk rock way!
Greg Norton explains: "Sitting in our bunkers, we only have artificial stars to look at. We are all scared, but we keep reaching for those stars."
So, if you’re looking for a quick catch-up on all things UltraBomb, they’ve had a massive year transitioning from a high-pedigree project into a fully-fledged, permanent power trio. UltraBomb and their tour mates Dead Bob were forced to cancel and postpone a significant portion of their June 2025 "Ultrabob 5000 West Coast Tour" due to delays for John Wright (Dead Bob), who is based in Canada. It was because both bands shared a crew and transportation, that UltraBomb was also unable to proceed with the scheduled dates. The band made up some of the dates as 2025 came to a head, and now have some tour plans set up for this new year we call 2026. The big lineup shift took place last year with Ryan Smith (from Soul Asylum) officially stepping in as the band’s new guitarist and vocalist. He replaced founding member Finny McConnell and played his first show with the guys (Greg Norton (Hüsker Dü) and Derek O'Brien (Social Distortion)) back in February 2025 in St. Paul. It’s a pretty incredible "supergroup", especially with that deep Minnesota-California punk connection.
The band spent the end of 2025 locked in Creation Audio in Minneapolis, which is actually legendary because it's where Hüsker Dü recorded their third studio album New Day Rising (1985). They apparently knocked out 11 tracks in just four days with producer John Fields. Mark your calendar for April 3, 2026, that’s when the new full-length, The Bridges That We Burn, officially drops via DC-Jam Records. They’ve already been teasing a Spring 2026 tour to support the new record, so keep an eye out for dates. It definitely feels like they’re hitting a new stride with Ryan in the mix! Keep an eye out for Pre-Order announcements and check out the merch on their official site
