United Nations - Never Mind The Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures - EP

Thu, 07/22/2010 - 13:55 by Austin Tracey

Screamo
Deathwish Inc.

United Nations

Never Mind The Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures - EP

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Is there really a better way to voice your discontent with the vapid lifestyles of your peers than to pound out rusty power chords and scream like there’s no tomorrow? If so, someone needs to enlighten United Nations, because on their latest EP, Nevermind The Bombings, Here’s Your Six Figures, they continue to perpetuate the politically-charged, abrasive style they explored on their eponymous debut as though this was the not just the best way, but the only way for them. Again, tracks are brief, chords are messy, and shifts are spastic; so indeed, it’s the same United Nations. They’ve even continued to vandalize rock cornerstones - last time, The Beatles’s Abbey Road; this time around it’s all about Nevermind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols.

Ironically, the album they chose to allude to this time is actually fitting; like the Pistols, United Nations voice cynical criticisms throughout with a throaty holler against a backdrop of punk characteristics. People were upset when seeing the coarse slang term "bollocks" back in 1977, so imagine what would happen if those same people heard this. Complete fucking pandemonium, left-and-right. Hide your children. It’s the apocalypse ready to knock some sense into you with tremolo calls, dissonant chords, and D-beats rushing in from all corners. Geoff Rickley of Thursday fame contributes his signature warble here and there, but the crackling roars reign supreme. Album opener "Pity Animal" whacks away at the snare while voices fly like Orchid or even Joshua Fit for Battle - mid-range yelps and cathartic hollering-fests. On "Communication Breakdown," messy chord changes are deeply rooted in the band’s self-endowed "emo-powerviolence" sound; so the uncanny resemblances to these screamo giants is completely expected. Fortunately more of the same is a good thing in this case, and though United Nations may soon have to fight off the "one trick pony" cliché, for now; they’re kicking ass and melting face without regret or remorse. Their confidence is appreciated.

Track Listing
Artist Biography

1. Pity Animal
2. You Bright & Risen Angels
3. Communication Letdown
4. Never Mind The Bombing, Here's Your Six Figures

United Nations is an experimental punk supergroup whose roots go back to at least 2005 formed by Geoff Rickly, the singer/lyricist of the band Thursday. Other artists rumored to be involved in the project most noteably include Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw/Head Automatica fame along with Ben Koller of Converge. A handful of other names have also been mentioned: Chree (The Number Twelve Looks Like You), Eric Cooper (Kiss It Goodbye) Lukas Previn (Acid Tiger) Tom Keeley (Thursday) Jonah Bayer (The Lovekill).