unwound 1991-2091

*saw unwound live recently. god, what a blast to the face. opening with message received set the whole place on fire. it spread through the crowd and the energy was completely set. raw, heavy, in your face.... what an experience*

unwound is a post-hardcore band from olympia, washington. one of the headlining acts in the post-hardcore genre, their music is truly one of a kind. the band consisted of guitarist and vocalist justin trosper, drummer sara lund, and bassist vern rumsey. vern has unfortunately passed away but is allowed to live on through his enduring basslines that refuse to be ignored. and of course other things. their music is incredible and i'm so happy to have been allowed to appreciate it as much as i do. i don't shut up about unwound. i love showing their music to other people. so far nobody has told me they didn't like it, but to be fair i only show them to people who i know will like it 😏. 

the discography of unwound is recommended to all humans on earth to check out. the place to start is repetition. unwound at their catchiest and most beginner-friendly songs. everything here you can rock out to. the opener "message received" is the perfect introduction to this band. it displays their attitude and style perfectly. second album to listen to is their swan song. the critically-acclaimed magnum opus that is leaves turn inside you. here is unwound at their bravest, their most unrelenting songs are on this album. this is what unwound truly is. this album encapsulates them perfectly. each song is unlike the previous, and each song is unlike anything you've heard before. after that comes fake trains. this was my starting point so honestly this and repetition are interchangeable depending on what you prefer. fake trains is a lot more gritty and raw, whereas repetition is refined and varied. fake trains kind of has the same energy throughout but repetition really takes you different places. fake trains is still probably my second favorite though. challenge for a civilized society is their lowest rated album on rym (aside from their delayed debut, which you should listen to after everything else but it's not really necessary) but i think it's definitely a lot more important than people think. the songs on here are great and it's definitely a listen if you liked leaves and repetition. although i must admit, the catchiness of repetition is kind of absent on challenge. it's a lot more experimental and not really beginner-friendly like repetition was. this album is completely different than anything else they've released, but occasionally you can catch glimpses of leaves, which came next. new plastic ideas is their shortest in length and track list. 9 songs just shy of 40 minutes. full of great and hard-hitting songs. the future of what is honestly an album im still warming up to because i put it off for awhile because i thought it was a compilation album.. but a few songs in first listen i have no complaints. so far swan and disappoint are my favorites. 

although i could talk about unwound for probably forever what i'll just do instead is rank my top 5 songs and talk about them instead ... :)

#1 Terminus

terminus.... where do i begin.... easily one of the best songs ever. constant. constant. constant movement. the bassline hook draws you in. it's so deep, and so raw. vern's bass tone is enchanting. the drums as well... a unique beat that moves all over the kit. the first half of terminus draws you in and is at a constant high. after the bridge into the middle part of the song, it calms down. still as fast as before, yet a lot less intense. every few bars it gives you a glimpse of what's to come. the violin, bass, guitar, drums, everything reaches perfect harmony. a sound one has never heard before. after the last glimpse it goes full throttle into one of the most beautiful and harrowing serenades the listener cannot help but be enamored by. pulled in, and just as soon as it begins it's over. back to the cooldown... but once that's over it's back and even more powerful than the first. so much more emotion, so much more energy, it gives you an image in your head you can't quite explain. such extremity all packed into your mind that words have no explanation... something so fierce has been planted in your head... after the zenith, it cools down and eventually ends. and finally... the first break in the song. the transition into the final movement of the song is piercing violins, scratching and screaming all at once. it begs you to close your eyes and just listen. the cries of the violins... off putting but when played together so surprisingly beautiful. then the final part kicks in. it's cathartic.. a relaxing meditation allowing you to relax after all the chaos before... just about after the highest of highs here you are at the lowest of lows. absolutely mellow. closing your eyes and laying back feels like you're floating. this song is a gift to mankind. the song ends, and as much as i would want to say i want it to continue i cannot. this song makes you truly at peace and you know it's going to end... it's ending.. it's over. you're left satisfied.

#2 Valentine Card/ Kantina/ Were, Are, Was or Is

a three piece all about a love that seemingly just doesn't work out. valentine card is a brutal beginner. justin's pained and desperate cries. it seems like *the singer just doesn't love this person, but can't bring himself to break things off to prevent any hearts from being broken. the true love's over but yet these two souls cannot muster up the courage to part. he wants to end it easily but it's much too late for that. it's guaranteed it will hurt. the song opens with a kick-ass bass line that calls forward the rocking drums. after the turmoil and screams for his "lover" end the song devolves into a slight hum and occasional guitar feedback. which transitions into kantina. kantina is the song that got me into unwound. the opening bassline is almost sort of a proto-terminus line. whereas terminus is more of an extreme hype song that probably calls for a harder headbang, kantina allows you to groove a lot slower. the opener to kantina is a laid-back jam that quickly evolves into a harsh sonata invading your ears. it chills out and then in comes the first lyrics. the movement in the song is probably in correlation to the strained relationship the songs are about. it's a moment of reflection and realization. then comes the screams for the singer's lover to stay and not to leave. the repetition of the screams gives you a glimpse of a man who is drained and lost, so confused that he has no choice but to beg for just a bit longer. the belting session ends with "until i find, another one, another one". after valentine card's admittance into the final phases of the relationship, it seems kantina is after the initial breakup. the relationship is over at this point. the reason why the singer's actions were so delayed in valentine card was that they were just waiting for someone else to fill the hole. but it's too late, and his ex-lover simply did not want to wait in sake of someone they don't love anymore. what helps the idea that the relationship is indeed over are the slow, moments of reflection in the song. the character is dazed, just barely audible as they describe their depression and feeling of being alone.  kantina is a song that absolutely kicks ass and despite the sadness that the song evokes you can't help but sing along, screaming "wait, wait, don't go!" along with the singer. after the loud, abrasive, and harsh nature of valentine card and kantina comes were, are, and was or is. hinted by the title, this song is one of reflection. weighing the past and the present. after awhile the song becomes muddled. the steady, slow, melancholic song becomes invaded by a screeching torrent of noise that persists until the fadeaway of the end. perhaps this is the past creeping it's way back into this moment of acceptance.

*justin and the singer are two different entities. i think it makes more sense to imagine the singer as someone entirely different rather than justin himself, considering it's a story being told.

#3 Honourosis

although not parted with the previous songs, honourosis is the de-facto finale of the series. here it is. the end. the song starts off slow. it makes you want to follow it all the way through. where does this go? it's like the opening bass is slowly grabbing your hand and leading you to a place you've never seen before. the slowness turns into, like in usual unwound fashion, the rough distortion. the lyrics come in. so calm. where did the screaming guy go? is this the same guy? it is him, and he's finally come to his conclusion. "today's different, different than before" sets the mood. it really is different, huh? the intensity of valentine card and kantina are gone. this song is unlike anything else on the album. the lyrics follow the singer finally realizing that it's time to move on. "i just wasted too much time, insanity's not worth a dime." his voice is so much more smooth... yet there are times where the past creeps in and allows him to scream. it's just not worth it anymore... to care so much for someone you don't love anymore. at some point he starts yelling for his lover to look at him. he's telling them how he doesn't need them anymore. that he's moved on. resolution. absolution. there's no need for you anymore to hang around, he says. or more so for him to be so hung up. the song ends with his vow to move on. "all the deceits not worth the fucked up mystery". it's just not worth it to lie to himself anymore. he can finally move on and spare himself wondering why this is happening, or why he feels this way. he knows. he always knew. he has finally come to terms with himself. 

#4 Scarlette

scarlette is yet another song about estranged love, and is also a song i had the EXTREME PLEASURE of seeing live and screaming my heart out to. scarlette opens with guitar rather than the usual bass or drums. the guitar is repetitive yet the bass and drums are hitting a lot harder, and are allowing themselves much more movement. the guitar only deviates when it has to. a little chill section and then comes the lyrics. justin's voice is unlike any other song. here it is so gravelly and strained, you can tell it hurts. this song is about love, yet unlike valentine card and the like's relationship that just won't end, scarlette is about a relationship that the singer doesn't want to end. scarlette seems to be a deceitful woman that is actually open about her infidelity. "don't doubt me if i'm insincere" she says. the screamed pains of the singer reflecting on his love for scarlette are followed with a part of the song that's dreamy and trance-like. justin's echoed vocals cause for a moment of deliberation. the singer recalls the day scarlette left. she slammed the door on his head and knocked him down, leaving him lying on the floor in pain. he repeats himself, they both know it's over. the girl he loved at first sight has left him on his own. but still, even when she left... he can't help but imagine that she still loves him in a way, saying "did you like the way I looked at you when you walked away?" the song ends with the chorus, but drawn out and a lot more pained.

#5 Sonata for Loudspeakers

this song is beautiful. vern's swinging bassline is a lot more different than anything else he's played before this. when the song builds up into the chaos.. the drums crash and roll and the phased up guitar carry the whole song through. then it's back to calm. this song is like floating on a river. you can really just lay down and close your eyes and move. near the end comes the sudden appearance of horns that really take the euphonious mood to the next level. from calm to serene. from laid-back to tranquil. it changes the whole mood, making it more epic. the song has so much more depth here, so much more space. it takes you to a entirely different place. from the river in your mind to a vast plain, or an ancient building with pillars tens of stories high. and the horns drown out an start losing their size, and the song ends. just like that.

these songs are a must-listen for anyone. they cover all bases of unwound's diverse style. diverse indeed, yet you can always tell you're listening to the same band. from terminus' train like movement that just goes and goes, eventually slowing down into a place never before seen, all the way to sonata's low, droning, calm rainstorm that puts your mind at ease. unwound is a band that has claimed to last one hundred years and i don't doubt they will. 1991-2091

unwound live in hoboken

unwound live in texas