Unsane

While it’s currently in vogue for hardcore, metal and cock rock bands to reform in a last ditch effort to avoid real work and relive past glories, Unsane’s resurrection was more an inevitability than a cash-grab. After all, despite being legendary New York noise nihilists and undeniably influencing countless facets of the aggressive underground since their inception in 1989, Unsane have always been under the radar, making Blood Run unfinished business. While Chris Spencer (vocals/guitar) mined similar territory with Cutthroats Nine during Unsane’s "hiatus,” it somehow lacked the gravitas and impact of Unsane. And while it has been seven years since Occupational Hazard, Unsane has lost none of the abrasive bile and dissonant scraping their rep was carved with. From the opening spikes of a heavy vehicle’s "backing-up” warning, Blood Run slowly and inexorably grinds forward, the distorted screamed vocals shredding the remnants of Spencer’s chords, dissonant, abrasive guitars scouring away like a cheese grater on flesh and über-heavy distorted bass and precision drumming anchoring the punishment. While Unsane’s abrasive noise style has remained relatively unchanged since their inception, they vary the pace well and occasionally deliver standout tracks ("Got It Down”) even though it’s more about the cycling abuse. While some bands of comparable legendary status have softened with time, Unsane continue to further their legacy instead of languishing in it.