United

United are one of the oldest names in extreme music, hailing from the land that gave the rest of us sushi, Boredoms and big-eyed cartoon superheroes. The band have been through the line-up wringer - as most bands with 15 year histories - and have put together minor classics like Bloody But Unbowed ('90), Beast Dominates and Human Zoo (both '92). Now, they're back after falling out of radar range for a few years with a refocused label and a storming new album. United have always had the uncanny ability to keep it heavy and melodic. The scene and its sounds have morphed and so have the band, but this most important of abilities has remained intact. Way back when, it was thrashier material. Today, you can tell someone bought these guys a copy of Burn My Eyes. The band has taken the thunderous East Bay power chords, combined it with a few single note riffs and some predictably catchy choruses. The infectious refrains are accentuated by the vocal versatility of Shinichi Inazu, who roars like a demon but also roughly pushes the melodies along with musically intelligent phrasing.