Metal Reviews
Metal Reviews
UNION 13 |
| Just why are we
destroying ourselves? Can anybody tell me that? Well, if anybody can come up with a legitimate answer, or even take the time to ponder such a poignant question, then without a doubt, East L.A.’s own Union 13 have accomplished exactly what they’ve set out to. In building on the strong buzz that first began with their “East Los Presents” debut recording, “Why…” takes the music a step further in that it’s designed to raise social awareness while maintaining the anger-building momentum they first introduced shortly before, only with a cleaner production and broader attention. Not unlike what the whole hard-core/punk genre was created to be, Union 13’s music is fast, loud, angry and smothered with enough gang choruses and “whoa-whoa’s” to make The Misfits drop their instruments and do a double take. What it’s not however, is based upon the pretty boy image and “hey, look at me, I’m a wannabe punk rocker and get on the radio” thing. In fact, there’s not one song of the sixteen on the album that’s likely to make it to mainstream radio anytime soon. For one thing, none of them are long enough, and for another, the music’s way too extreme for any of these play it safe Program Directors to get their hands dirty. Union 13 is also not the typical middle-class white American boys raging on about how touch their life is while they’re cruising around in their sporty convertible. They are in fact, all from a Latino background, which in and of itself is worth checking out for the simple fact that it offers a different perspective to music that’s usually dominated by the former. The songs blister in content and are played with maximum intensity, while mixing both Spanish and English lyrics in a hostile tradeoff that believe me, won’t make much difference at full volume. And that’s really the only way to listen to this kind of stuff. “Why Are We Destroying Ourselves” is hard-core punk the way it was meant to be played and meant to be written—with bad intent; to question authority in a world where we are virtually on our own. And thumbs up to these guys for bringing back that underground attitude and sincerity to a scene that was fast becoming swallowed up in the corporate takeover and presenting a useful release for the anger and aggression consistent with what is an otherwise hopeless situation for many. Released by Epitaph Records. Review by Vinnie Apicella. |