Occupational Hazard

Unsane

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 27, 1998)
• Original Release Date: January 20, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Relapse
• ASIN: B00000113E
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #238,437 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Where most of their peers try awfully hard to create the illusion of bad juju, New York's Unsane seem to be able to conjure the real thing at will. Aside from an ominous string of personal problems--culminating in singer/guitarist Chris Spencer's near-death experience in a European fistfight on tour to promote this album--Unsane cultivates a bleak industrial thrash sound steeped in undifferentiated antagonism. Perhaps a bit slower and more measured than some of their peers, Unsane move forward more like a bulldozer than an out-of-control funny-car. You won't find much subtext in astringent bashers like "Sick," "Lead," and "Scam," but then again, when real life makes bands like Ministry seem like easy listening, you don't really need any. --David Sprague

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars, February 11, 2004

By	Jeremy Ulrey "Bangyrmfhead" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

My exposure to Unsane's past efforts has been notably limited, but I have heard enough to realize that their latest effort is far more structured than work of old. However, they've hardly sold out to trendy, late-90s metal cliches, and though Unsane are more appropriately punk than metal, "Occupational Hazard" finds them exploring the progressive hardcore Fugazi is famous for. This is a genre I am only marginally familiar with, but I feel safe in saying that with this record Unsane have delivered what has to be the most professional noise rock record to date. There is just enough distortion to give the band a menacing sound but without muffling the underlying rhythms. The drums in particular are well-produced and superbly played for this genre (courtesy of Vinny Signorelli), at times even approaching a jazz-like sophistication. The guitars can sound like anyone from Reverend Horton Heat to Kim Thayil (of Soundgarden) depending on the song. Bottom line is the grooves on this album just have far more swing and sense of movement than the typical hardcore sound today, as represented by all those Sick Of It All clones with the monotonous sore throat vocals and guitarists who treat the upper three strings on their guitar like the Bermuda Triangle. Relapse have staked a major coup in signing Unsane at this stage of their development.

NOTE: This review was written in 1997/98 and to the best of my knowledge Unsane have long since broken up.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Badass, May 7, 2005

A Kid's Review

Similar to Helmet and the Jesus Lizard, Unsane are a good example of why the early 90's rocked so much. Shame the Korn-addicts didn't check this out when it was released.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GET THIS!!!, May 13, 2004

By	Patrick J. Newman (Medina, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I picked this album up for $5.00. Even for three times that price, it would have still have been a deal. This has to be the best album I have gotten in at least the last 5 months.
Do your eardrums a favor, and get this album!!!