Union Underground

An Education in Rebellion

Portrait/Columbia Records

08.14.00

South Texas Deathride band, Union Underground recently played the Canyon Club this past Thursday evening. Though many probable fans might not of heard of these guys, I believe droves of fans will be on the train to see the Union Underground's next performance in north texas.

The 11 song debut CD from San Antonio rockers, Union Underground, is one to listen to over and over, never taking out of your 10 CD changer. It must live there. You will want it. you will need it. You will withdrawal without it.

It will consume you relentlessly.

The great thing about Union Underground is it's fresh, almost green approach to rock. Radio friendly yet unmocked nor overplayed. UU will not spoil. It is timeless, like NIN's first CD, Nirvana's first, etc. UU is an Alice N Chains, Powerman 5000, Slipknot, Metallica mixing bowl of influences. When cooked, this CD is hot. This organic approach to rock began with a high school partnership between vocalist Bryan Scott and guitarist Patrick Kennison. Motley Crue was the shit back n the day, but these two had a vision, they wanted to be arena rockers. They surely are.

South Texas Deathride is a heavy song dominated by noisy guitars and a heavy hammering bass line. Another alternative lifestyle mantra, honoring our twisted texas style. Funny, just when we are all settling with the fact that SOAK had to leave the rock arena, we turn around to find SOAK bassist, John Moyer on an awesome adventure. The band heard SOAk in Austin, met John, wanted him. A month later he called them & decided to have a jam. He never thought he would leave SOAK, but he adds the perfect style to this ultra psychotic band. So, if you mourn for SOAK and want organic, fresh music, find Union Underground.

Turn Me on "Mr. Deadman" is a radio hit and alterngeneration shout. Poking fun at rock stars, making fun of the masses that follow what sits in front of them, UU has a sense of humor about what they are doing for a living. One of the best songs on the CD, Turn me on, speaks of the reality of the music business.

Until you Crack is a depressing look at the arresting properties of drug addiction. Bryan Scott says that he does write about his life, or elements he sees around him. Starting the song with an obtrusive, "How long??????"

Scott delves into the true properties of addiction.

Realization that now matter who you are, how much you have or don't have, a powerful addiction will kill you. The easy lyrics are quickly reverberated in your mind until the song becomes enjoyable.

Killing the Fly, influenced by the best of Alice in Chains, begins with a spatial tom and kick beat that get you into the groove of this song. The heavy tom, hat ability of drummer Josh Memolo are evident here. Though this music is never dominated by over drumming, Killing the Fly lets Memolo shine. There is always that needed space in the musical layers to let you digest the music.

Natural High, with it's awesome guitar work by Kennison, seems to be the band's mantra about life in the entertainment business. They, at this young larvae stage in their musical evolution have already learned that they must depend on themselves, that they are not superstars, can't save you, and have to always work towards the future. "NO present tense is gonna last".

These guys are grounded. Maybe that's why they got signed so quickly. They constantly created ways to promote themselves. From guerrilla marketing (stuffing flyers for themselves into 10,000 SA Current magazines) to buying their own studio and producing their own music, Union Underground is in full control of their future. Good to see a label working with, not against their own bands.

This first CD, An Education in Rebellion, is just that. Guitarist and cofounder Patrick Kennison says that it means going against the grain of the music business. "It's about doing it yourself". More bands should see the light. Though it may be hard, if the desire is there, it's the American Dream. It can happen. This CD rebels against the typical stereotyping of bands in this day. You are either Rap/Core. Pop, Alternative, etc. UU mixes 80's metal with their own industrial/gothic mentalities and center all this around good, solid rock n roll. What you get is an aggressively twisted snippet of our society; a dumping ground for our children to sift through. Take this trip through the Union Underground. What we have here is an album that is enjoyed start to finish.

Of fledgling musical combos as they grew up, making pocket money through part-time restaurant jobs and getting paid in free beer once they began playing at parties and such. The Union Underground gradually coalesced in these formative years: "We originally had a singer, with me just playing guitar. But I would sing on the demos, so finally Patrick and I looked at each other and said, 'this is an amazing waste of time. We're trying to get him to sound like you, why don't you just do it?'" It was 1997 when The Union Underground took the shape it has today. Drummer Josh Memelo joined at the end of 1998. And Basses John Moyer fallowed soon after they signed a deal with Portrait. Unlike many of there contemporaries who signed with an Indie label and worked there why up to one of the larger record companies. The Union Underground took a different approach; vocalist Scott explains that “We just did didn’t want to do the Indie thing, because it would not have done us any justice. An Education In Rebellion will convince even the jaded of fans of hard rock that bands deals in large-scale music. There music is nothing if not huge: massive guitars, earthshaking grooves, and Scott’s own monster vocals are the main ingredients in what’s is sure to be hailed as one of most electrifying debut albums of 2000.

Produced by Scott, co-produced by Kennison, An Education In Rebellion takes the listener on a aggressively psychotic musical ride through a wasteland populated my overcooked rock stars (“Turn Me On Mr. Deadman”), failed dreams (“Revolution man”), and drug casualties (“Natural High”). “I get asked a lot about all the drug references,” Scott admits about some of his more potentially controversial lyrics. “It’s not as much autobiographical. Although some of it is. I grow up around a lot of drug use and violence. So whatever I writing about, I always end up reviling things from my childhood. That’s the kind of roots of a lot of stuff I write about. But its not always about me and what I believe.

From Shout web

This heavy quartet out of San Antonio can satisfy the appetite for new rock music. The Sony UK debut album is filled with songs that continue to drive today's style of hard rock/metal into the next stage. With heavy guitar riffs, a mix of industrial, and a pinch of electronica, this album serves up a tasty concoction of songs. Their style is their own, but you can sense a similar sound to bands like Rob Zombie, Static-X or Powerman 5000 here and there. "South Texas Deathride" and "Turn Me on Deadman" are surefire adrenalin rushes. "Until You Crack" is another favorite with its waves of grooves and vocals taking you for a rock and roll rollercoaster. The album can definitely be described as heavy, but just the right touch that would also make the songs great for radio airplay. "Bitter" is just another of the album's highlights.

The Union Underground's music writing and sound should be strong enough to carry these guys on an enjoyable adventure in today's rock scene. There is really not much to dislike.