I was super psyched to learn of this Unseen Force reissue from Vicious Circle Records and Grave Mistake Records, because not only am I a big fan of reissues in general, but it's even cooler when those reissues cover local bands that you were too young to catch the first time around! The "In Search of the Truth" LP was originally released in 1986 as a self-released run of 500 copies on Turbulent Records, and this comprehensive CD reissue also includes live tracks recorded in 1986 on a California radio show (among them a handful of previously unreleased songs), plus the 1984 demo from pre-Unseen Force band 2000 Maniacs (when they were living in State College, PA before relocating to Richmond, VA to form Unseen Force). For the most part the music is straightforward hardcore/punk with just the right balance of a chaotically noisy (though controlled) edge and a faint hint of loosely metallic crossover subtlety happening. It's hardcore "thrashy", but not metal "thrashy", you know? There's a good dose of speed, but it's not in your face fast with no breathing room, there are plenty of those quick little lead breaks, the vocals are straight-up shouting, and every now and then there are some unexpected and fairly non-standard riffs that are probably fairly in keeping with "the Richmond way", so to speak. Every song on the LP is less than three minutes long, and though the live tracks obviously sound a little rough, the unreleased post-LP songs actually show some curious developments in terms of often stretching on for longer lengths, despite building from a similar base as far as tempos and riffing styles go. The 2000 Maniacs material, on the other hand, is basically short, fast, and to the point. Few songs top a minute-and-a-half, and a couple even fall under 10 seconds. The sound is surprisingly thick at times, but the overall writing style is just stripped down to the basics. The booklet includes a collage of a shitload of old flyers and photos, as well as the lyrics to the LP tracks, plus some brief liner notes providing some background information on some of the material's origins, so it's a well-rounded release when all is said and done. And for possibly the first time ever in the history of life, the onesheet that came with this release was actually incredibly interesting and informative. If they're not sending those out to the people that order the CD's, maybe they should!
Unseen Force "Fear"
Unseen Force "Reason to Live"
2000 Maniacs "I Hate to Hate"
Comments
great stuff!
by the way check Thrashing like a maniac compilation form Earache!
2.6.2008 | By Anonymous
It’s funny how singers of certain eras sound alike. These vocals patterns immediately put me in the late ‘80s, with that whole SoCal crossover vibe, good stuff.
2.7.2008 | By Invisible Oranges
This is a great record. I reviewed it and happened to mention to press release, too. I much rather would have had the bio from the press release in place of some of the flyer collages or even some of the lyrics. It puts a lot of stuff into perspective if you’re like me and had only heard of the band prior to this being released.
2.16.2008 | By Ian