Customer Reviews

... An Education in Rebellion

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Union Underground proves to be a pretty good band. I first heard the cd when a friend lent it to me. Much to my surprise i found the music quite enjoyable. Mind you, don't go into this cd thinking you are going to hear the most original sounds as their music is reminiscent of Alice in Chains, Manson, Metallica, Pantera, and even Bush, but overall this is a decent effort.

I found i could not resist headbanging to Natural High and South Texas Deathride. Drivel is a decent track with a good rythym. Turn Me On "Mr. Deadman" reminded me of Manson a tad, but is original enough to pick up on itself. You begin to discover that these guys have a big chance at the bigtime when you hear Killing the Fly and Revolution Man, which are the album's high point (although Trip With Jesus plays with the prospect for a while). Heavy enough for metal maniacs, melodic enough for those looking for something not so hard, and definitely a fine effort for a first release. If Union Underground gets there sound down like they do in Revolution Man then they'll start cranking out near perfect albums.

Looking for a new band that you can follow as they mature? this is probably a great start. You got a few bucks to spare? Buy this, its not heavy on the wallet and you'll find yourself giving it a few listens and growing to the sound.

Being from San Antonio, The Union Underground is a local band to me. It is awesome to know that someone with actual talent and heaviness is at last from "San Antone." If you are fans of bands like Alice in Chains and Powerman 5000, you would be wise to check this album out. Their sound is Alice in Chains with more effects and Powerman 5000 with tighter vocals. Do not base the album on the lead single, "Turn me on, Mr. Deadman," as the rest of the CD is heavier. Songs that I recommend are "South Texas Deathride," "Until you Crack," and "Revolution Man." Overall, Union Underground is a much needed shot in the arm to metal that is totally devoid of any rap influences.

I must admit that I was a little hesitant to pick this up after hearing "Turn me on, Mr. Deadman," which is a great song, but sounds, note-for-note, almost exactly like PM5K. But hey, with such a discounted price tag, I figured what the hell, I'll give it a shot.

I fully expected to be disappointed, but I was absolutely floored by the rest of the album!! Very few of the other songs sound anything like PM5K. There is definitely a heavier Alice In Chains vibe throughout, especially on the choruses and some of the obvious influences range from Pantera to Disturbed (my other pick for best debut album of 2000).

THE album highlight for me is "South Texas Death Ride." (ya motherf*&k!!) - a great song to crank up while sitting at a stoplight next to a family of four returning from church... "Natural High," "Killing the Fly," "Trip with Jesus," and especially "Bitter" all have huge mainstream rock radio potential with killer power chords and some of the catchiest vocals I've heard in recent years.

Granted, the overall sound is a lot like a conglomeration of numerous already popular alternative metal bands (a record company's wet dream and probably the only reason they got signed to a major US label), but these guys do it far better than many of the bands that have influenced their sound and the substandard "filler material" you generally find is virtually non-existent here. I would easily put this on my list of the top 5 releases of 2000! If you like to rock and rock hard, these guys are one of the more worthy listens you'll find in the US market!...

To start it off, yes at times they sound like PM5k(not a good thing) and at times they do sound like Godsmack(not a bad thing), but to be honest Union Underground has sort of a sound of its own. My favorite track on this cd has to be South Texas Deathride with Revolution Man coming next. Not saying that the rest of the cd doesn't hold up, but those 2 tracks there are enough reason alone to buy this cd. Definitely worth the money and I'd recommend this to any fan of metal or hard rock. Welcome to stardom Union Underground...

I think that I should give it a 4.5 out of 5 in all honosty, but since you can only give a 4 or 5 i'd have to lean more towards the 5. It's an awesome cd with influences from Powerman 5000 in most songs, also Alice In Chains, and Revolution Man even sounds like a Metallica hit. It's all got a very real sound, hard and loud, but you can still distinguish every beat in every instrument and the vocals are a lot more solid. The lyrics are drug-induced and violent, what else is expected from a heavy metal album? Songs like The Friend Song and Trip With Jesus have a fast pounding beat to them. Everything on this album is amazing. Pick it up quick.

Took a chance on this cd w/o sampling first because it was cheap. I saw that Ulrich Wild(Static X) produced a couple of the songs so I thought it had to be decent. The guitars have plenty of distortion and chunkiness, but could use more on each song. Vocals are melodic and are similar to Stone Temple Pilots, Step Kings, and even a hint of Powerman 5000. Overall, not a bad cd starting out.

This is one of the best "old" albums I've bought in quite some time. It's been a strange year for me, as far as my tastes in music. I've been continually frustrated with the selection in music stores, and I am growing EXCEPTIONALLY upset with the radio cuts of what they consider "good" rock. Therefore, I've been scanning Amazon's collection and looking for ANYTHING that MIGHT be good between 1989 - 1997.

I got REALLY lucky when I ran across this band.

I can compare them to so many other bands, but they only seem to adopt certain qualities from each, so in a sense, they're a hybrid of originality. Take the frontman's voice. It reminds me at most times of Layne Staley (RIP), but at other times, it borders a Manson-esque/Rob Zombie feel. The guitars are tight, and while the riffs aren't necessarily all original, the twist of electronica gives each song a totally new appeal. The percussion section isn't anything that struck me as amazing, but this is good; it somehow meshes well within the song. (Most industrial-flavored bands-at least to me-have drums that stand out a little bit too much, making it easier to identify flaws or awkward musicianship).

What makes this album stand out is the INTENSITY each member puts into each song. I know I could be cyber-hanged for saying this, but I think they are BETTER than PM5K (whom I love, by the way). There seems to be a lot more vocal flexibility...the frontman ranges between creepy, growly whispers to throaty, infectious screams, to edgy anti-pop vocals (probably bad wording...think of Rob Zombie when he's carrying tunes instead of screaming or whispering). That's the best analogy I can think of at the moment.

As far as I'm concerned, there's not a bad song on the album, but there ARE standouts. Obviously, the ferocity displayed in "South Texas Death Ride" and "Turn Me On, Mr. Deadman" are immediate moshpit starters. "Killing the Fly" slows down the pace just a little, until the prechorus storms in with the anthemic: "I wanna break you!...". And personally, I don't care what the Amazon.com editor says. "Trip with Jesus" is THE best song on the album. Listen to it ONCE...LOUDLY. I guarantee you, you will find more climaxes in this song than any industrial band out there today...and this includes most Nine Inch Nails tracks.

Angry, bitter, fast-paced, and so much fun. I wish they had more albums out...I would definitely buy them.

Even if you still believe this review is questionable (and I guarantee, if you like Rob Zombie or PM5K, you'll love this stuff), it's really cheap, so what have you got to lose? Seriously...pick this UP!!!

I really cannot stand nu-metal anymore because I finally reached a point where all of the bands truly begin to sound the same. So I sold about 100 of my cds that all fell in the nu-metal category, this was one of the only exceptions.

Yes, I too thought "Mr.Deadman" was a little like PM5K the first time I heard it. Good song, but not enough to make me buy the album. I then heard South Texas Deathride on a cd sampler and it certainly wetted my appetite. So I bought the album. Wow.

THERE IS NOT A SINGLE SONG THAT SOUNDS THE SAME ON THE ENTIRE CD. This is quite a feat today given the talent of most nu-metal bands. AIC (that's Alice in Chains for all the youngin's who are looking for the next Limp Bizkit) came to mind on a few tracks (Killing the Fly, Revolution Man, Natural High, Until You Crack). A real garage punk sound for a track (Friend Song), industrial metal (Bitter) and plain old rock (South Texas Death Ride, Drivel, Tip with Jesus). All of these sounds are seemingly thrown into a blender and then spit out as the powerful debut that you should be buying right now. Extremely high replay value.

The first time I heard Union Underground was when I heard "Turn Me On Mr. Deadman", and after hearing it, I fell in love with them and immediately bought the album. Everyone tends to compare them to PM5K but I disagree. They tend to sound like Alice in Chains (which is damn cool) or like newer Metallica (but heavier) and they really stand out from all the other new bands out there. Lastly, this ain't no nu-metal, this is REAL metal, and if they keep making albums as good as this, they'll be one of the biggest bands around.

First off, yes, The Union Underground does sound like just about every other band in their category. You know, Powerman 5000, The Deftones, Disturbed, Godsmack, Papa Roach, etc. (I could name more, but I'd run out of room); but does that mean that they are the same as everybody? Not necessarily. Is that a bad thing? Depends on your point of view. Am I going to stop asking questions like this? Yes. One thing I like is, they don't even touch on the same subjects as their fellow musicians. An example is the single, Turn Me On Mr. Deadman, a song about rock stars selling out (perhaps they're playing on Metallica?). Mr. Deadman is a pretty cool song, though, if you really want a feel for the rest of the album, check out South Texas Deathride, which, in my opinion, would've made a better single than Mr. Deadman. I also find it interesting that their home is in Texas, considering most bands I've heard like this aren't from Texas. If you like the aformentioned bands, then you should definately check this out. Especially since the price is right.