Album Review: User Unauthorized set to drop new record December 18

Upstart hardcore punks User Unauthorized are set to drop their second EP, Watch Them Fall December 18 on Rabbit Rabbit Records (Chicago). The Austin-born foursome attend McCallum High School for the Arts and range in age from 14-18. Let that sink in. Watch Them Fall is the second record for this talented under-18 outfit produced by Grammy-winning Stuart Sikes (Loretta Lynn, The White Stripes) and Ian MacDougall (Band of Horses, Riverboat Gamblers) and they haven’t gotten out of high school yet. It’s enough to make any Gen-Xer feel inferior. Or at least wonder what we’ve been doing with our lives.

For the group comprised of: Sage (vocals, bass), Johnny Cash (guitar), Rooster (drums) and Isabella (lead guitar) the reason the band’s formation was simple said Sage, “We formed User Unauthorized not only because of our love for punk and hardcore, but also because of how music can influence people and influenced us. We want to use our music to get people angry and in the streets to fight for social change.”

Now the only social change we wanted in high school was to be able to sit at the cool kids’ table at lunch. These bright, young minds want to change the world with their music. By virtue of that  mission, User Unauthorized recall the true ethos of punk: a vicious fight against the tyranny of oppressive society, governments and institutions. Those themes are present on this intense burst of energy that will jolt even the most sanguine listener out of their sober milieu. Watch Them Fall is a statement record. An album that says, chin-out, we’re angry and we’re coming for social justice and equality for all.

User Unauthorized doesn’t mess around, with only five tracks to work with, the band gets in your face right off the bat with “F.O.S.” The short, intense track strikes an accusing tone with an interlude in the middle of the tune to allow Sage to talk-scream about how “you’re not fucking special, you’re all the same!” in a rage while the band plays on, soon shifting back into high gear to wrap up the song. The track certainly brings teens’ angst and anger back to front and center.

Before we go any further, if you listen to UU, you’ll notice Sage has a rather masculine voice. That is because Sage transitioned from male and prefers non-binary pronouns like they/them. All we know is we like their bass playing and searing vocal delivery. The energy the group puts out backing their unmistakably intense band leader is akin to that of a pocket-sized thermonuclear reactor. In other words, they may be young and small(ish), but they’re putting out major energy on these tracks akin to old-school, hard-hitting punk music by the likes of Subhumans, Black Flag and The Clash. These are talented, intelligent young musicians demonstrating their precocious ability.

The backing and gang vocals by Mike Wiebe (Riverboat Gamblers) add credibility to the tracks. No more is that more evident on “APD”  and “Stomp.” The latter also contains an impressive guitar solo by Rise Against’s Zach Blair with Rooster’s (yeah that’s his real name) machine gun drumming punctuating the song emphatically. We were basically ready to start a riot once the two songs were finished.

“Full Speed Ahead” the fourth tune on the album is perhaps the most optimistic of the track listing as it deals with how the “strange kids” cope with the labels and limitations placed upon them by conventional society. A somber topic certainly, but the listener can detect the hopeful tone of youth not yet completely beaten down by the shortcomings of their world.

The band leaves you kind of down and dirty with the album’s bombastic, in-your-face closing title track. From the opening bass line, User Unauthorized go on the attack, tearing down government institutions, rejecting the status quo while shredding hard enough to approach blurring the lines between punk rock and hardcore deathrock. The biting lyrics cut right to the chase:

Hide behind their precious flag! Beat you down ‘cause you’re a fag! Shoot you in the street ‘cause of your skin! Try to exterminate your kin! One nation under the boot!

The silence directly following the conclusion of the EP is pronounced. After the cacophony of sound emanating from the new work, the lack of noise felt… awkward. Like when you stumble down a flight of stairs and almost lose your balance. It actually felt like the musical rug got pulled out from under us. And that’s a good thing. It means we want more.

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