ALBUM REVIEW: Unsane (reissue) – Unsane
UNSANE emerged out of the grimey and dangerous streets of New York in the late 80s with a noise laden and intense sound that resonated with a whole host of disenfranchised and pissed off listeners. They released their self-titled debut album in 1991 and it quickly garnered the band a loyal following who became enchanted with the cathartic noise they blew out of the speakers.
The album (which was first released on Matador Records) had long been out of print, but thanks to their own Lamb Unlimited label imprint it has been brought out again in a remastered edition (which has been handled by longtime UNSANE engineer Andrew Schneider) and it is pleasing to say that it still sounds immense, it still sounds pissed off and it still sounds as noisy as it did when it first emerged. The vocals and guitar playing of Chris Spencer still sound as potent as they always have, and along with the original members of the band, Charlie Ondras on drums and Pete Shore on bass, both of whom play on this record, the band created an awe-inspiring noise which still holds up today.
From opening track Organ Donor all the way through to the closing White Hand, this is a truly brilliant album that has stood the test of time and still sounds excellent more than 30 years after its original release. Songs like Maggot, Cracked Up, Exterminator and Vandal X, are all perfect examples of that classic UNSANE sound and it has to be said that the album as a whole sums up the band and their mindset brilliantly.
Unsane truly still sounds as angry and noisy as it did when it was first released but with enough discordant melody to make them stand out from the crowd and of course, they have the songs to match. The album also acts as a document of a different time – a time when the underground in New York City was genuinely both exciting and dangerous. This debut full-length soundtracks that fear and excitement perfectly while doing so in a truly cathartic manner and also acting as a perfect document of the alternative/noise rock scene of the early to mid 90s.
While the world that UNSANE inhabited is a much different place nowadays, the band still encapsulates and resonates with the feelings and sounds of that era. It is great news that UNSANE will be touring the UK and Europe and doing a set that concentrates on this early material, and it will be a great chance to see that world come to life in the noisiest way once again as the band pay tribute to their past and early beginnings. Until then though, get yourself familiar with some of the finest noise rock that there has ever been. It’s great to have UNSANE back and they sound as intensely brilliant as ever.
Rating: 9/10
Unsane (reissue) is set for release on September 23rd via Lamb Unlimited.
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