The Unseen - State of Discontent (Hellcat Records)
(Review by ERiC AiXeLsyD)
(5 out of 5 Aliens)Upon my initial listen, this CD just rocks. It fits the bill of what I've been looking for lately. It's just balls-out high energy angst-fueled punk rock. Yeah, it's way more produced than Lower Class Cricifixion or So This Is Freedom?... but who says that's a bad thing? Okay, I'm sure some "real" street punks or gutter punks will say that is indeed a bad thing... But they're also more-than-likely to have an aversion to the internet too. So, I won't worry about them. The great production certainly doesn't dispell any of the feeling here. If anything, the clarity makes you feel it all that much more. This thing captured the feel (for me anyway) of the Unseen's best asset, ther incredibly insane live show, where I think The Anger And The Truth kinda missed the mark. The Unseen still stand as one of my favorite bands to see live... and this CD stands as one that will stay in regular rotation for me. I found somethign funny in the liner notes... Mark, Scott, & Tripp list the equipment that they use from sponsors, which in itself is kind've funny for the Unseen... I mean, c'mon. Ha. But then it says "Pat uses a wicked beat up drumset someone hook the guy up!". Now, that is funny and quite 'punk' for any left doubting.
Track by track imperessions:
- "On The Other Side" - Good way to start an album. It grabs me right away, and the blaring guitars and blistering vocals with those signature "room full of people" sounding sing-along chorus parts let you know that the Unseen is here, & they're demanding your attention. Listen to the really subtle strings... Cello & Viola according to the liner notes. Insane... and blended perfectly.
- "Scream Out" - Well, as track # 1 ends it drops you flawlessly into this song before you realize it. This is my favorite track at the moment. It's actually what I heard that made me 'need' to have this album. Anyone who knows me knows my love for simlpe guitar licks, a catchy poppy melody, a sing-along chorus, and heavy dirty guitars over rapid fire drums. This song has all of them, and it has some inexplicable quality that I'm just attuned to. If you don't get some kind of stirring emotion after listening to this... then I doubt this album or band is really your thing.
- "The End Is Near" - Quick & dirty... Catchy too. Not a stand-out track.. but not to be written off easily... it's just sandwiched in with other stuff that demands more attention.
- "Weapons Of Mass Deception" - Rumbling bass and drums... then in slide the guitars. Another powerful & catchy stand out track. I normally roll my eyes at political stuff... the Unseen seems to be my exception to that rule for soem reason. I hear this, and I want to pay attention & read the lyrics.
- "You Can Never Go Home" - "Your whiskey tainted wisdom spills like vomit from your mouth..." What poetry. Ha ha ha. Seriously though... it evokes some thought, and conveys the thought behind it (to me anyway) with a look into where he's coming from. Who says punks can't be deep & nostailgic? Reminds me of an Ann Beretta song just amped up a whole lot more.
- "Dead Weight" - I like it when songs start like this. Guitars... the rest of the band accents a few notes... stop... screaming vocals. Again, it seems to be all about gettign your attention and making you listen. These guys made this to be heard. Reading the lyrics... makes you wonder if it's abotu certain former members... Catchy too.
- "Force Fed" - This is pretty general... you can apply it to almost anything.. the media, the government, your teachers, your job, your parents... whoever. Typical general agnst song... another quick & dirty one.
- "Social Damage" - Think for yourself. More simple little guitar licks that could almost be fills more than the lick you're supposed to focus on. Again, here it hits me that this album is mixed & produced perfectly... I dunno how some people can make the guitars so loud & prevalant yet not overpowering... and here Ken Casey, Brett Gurewitz, & Jim Siegel have done it flawlessly.
- "Waste Of Time" - Another catchy opening guitar riff. This is an album for punk rock guitarists. Scott knows when to pound out the chords, when to let it ring, and when to do tasty leads, fills, & licks. Sliding w/ some octaves, right into a lead... just perfect.
- "Hit And Run" - Starts wih a wall of guitars & eventually drops more dirty rockin' leads. The lyrics here are pretty damn good too. Don't commit manslaughter, or the Unseen will come kick your ass.
- "We Are All That We Have" - Lars Frederiksen drops in to sceam along... and blends in perfectly. Have I used the term adrenaline-fuled yet? Well, it really applies here. It's cool to bring in a friend in a song about friends.
- "Flames Have Destroyed" - Starts out kind've weird in my opnion... different form the rest of the album... then some drums & a pick slide slap you back into the Unseen's reality. It made me realize... there's a lot of pick slides on this CD. Maybe I picked that up unknowingly from the Unseen?
- "Final Execution (Armageddon)" - The sing-along chorus here doesn't seem as strong as it was intended to me... but that's not to say it's not a good song. I dig this. I think with more listens I'll really dig this one. It just doesn't have the initial grab like 98% of all their other stuff.
- "Paint It Black" - As if you didn't guess from the title... it's a Rolling Stones cover. This is awesome. This stands proudly in the canon of Unseen covers that I've heard. They really make this shit their own without losing the spirit of the original... if anything they add to it. Dicky Barrett from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones drops some vocals here too.
