A Review of United Nations New Self-Titled Album

Super groups aren't always a success and sometimes seem more like an exercise in vanity than anything else. "Well if people like my band, and they like you're band, then they will also like this band!" I'm sure none of the planning stages for these bands were ever that simple, but you get the idea.

United Nations are indeed a super group, one that boasts Thursday front-man Geoff Rickley, Glassjaw screamer and Head Automatica singer Daryl Palumbo, The Number 12 Looks Like You's Chree, and, according to some press releases, Converge Drummer Ben Koller. Yet, they aren't really keen on you knowing this. See, United Nations are a political band, one who hope to have a message ring louder than their previous fame.

The band offer up an interesting barrage of grind, screamo, and hardcore that while unrelenting and devious in its delivery is never overwhelming or un-listenable. Maybe this is thanks to Rickley's vocals which are, for the most part, delivered cleanly amongst a barrage of screams. There is also some fantastic guitar work going on here that stands out as its own form of melody and a nice and tight production job also helps to keep this from turning into a sloppy, piled-on mess.

Still, what may be even more interesting is the band's political notions. The group have already gotten into some trouble over artwork that was just a bit too similar to a famous Beatles piece, while the lyrical content attacks the state of affairs with true grit.

"The Spinning Heart" is rapid-fire in all regards. The call and response vocals of Rickley, and whoever it is that handles the brutal screaming here, recall the nasty little trade offs in The Blood Brothers, while the music recalls the screamo-meets-grind bombast of Orchid. It's a pummeling and devastating sound, but the precision is key, showing a band that are deadly accurate in their mayhem.

"No Sympathy for a Sinking Ship" is much the same. After opening with a clean guitar rattle, we get blazing little one string leads that rip through the song like buzzing bees intent on stinging eardrums. Meanwhile the shout-fest continues between Rickley and his co-front-man making for a maddening debate that acts as a perfect representation of the devil and angel sitting on your shoulders and barking back and forth at one another. Yeah, maybe does have an excellent melodic moment towards the close of the song where he invokes lines from "Yellow Submarine," but for the most part this is insanity caught on tape.

The Refuse-homage known as "The Shape of Punk that Never Came," is a bit more pensive, and I mean a bit. Here Rickley and company seem to remind us that since Refused's all too early split no band has managed to infuse hardcore with such experimentation and intelligence. And while this song acts as a surprising stretch to the limits of punk with it's hushed and atmospheric breakdown, it never really touches on the detailed perfection of Refused.

Another interesting track is "Revolutions on Graphic Design" which comes charging in like the theme song from Halloween before completely exploding. Eventually we get a mid-song break that is both rock and hardcore oriented and the song benefits from this fantastic dynamic change.

What is disappointing here is that while many of the songs are progressive slaps in the face, many also begin to sound similar. The constant push forward and unyielding delivery of spastic drums and ripping guitar work coupled with a constant stream of gurgled growls leads to a buffeted listening experience that can grow tiring.

Worth a listen? Yes. Completely necessary for your collection? Maybe not.