Album review: UnityTX – Somewhere, In Between

If you’ve grabbed the attention of such forward-thinking experimentalists as Poppy and The Callous Daoboys, you must be doing something right. No surprises, then, that on their second album UnityTX get a lot right, fusing nu-metal aggro with hip-hop swagger.

Straight out of the gates, Heinous lays out the Dallas destruction unit’s credentials for kicking off mosh-pits. Brandon Castañeda’s piledriving riffs and teeth-grinding guitar noises have shades of both Korn and Knocked Loose. Meanwhile leader Jay Webster barks like a man with his back against the wall: ‘I'm just an outcast surrounded by evil / Throw me to the wolves.’

No less confrontational, the band tinker with menacing trap beats on Body Roc, while spine-tingling ambient noises and ghoulish rapping make Ready 2 Die Pt. 2 sound like a haunted house. It all comes together on Come N Go (Nü Jax). The band swing wildly between skull-cracking grooves and seething rap, while Jay takes shots at trend riders: ‘Now everyone is fake as fuck, no surprise to me / They always come ’n’ go.’

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and so is the evident chip on UnityTX’s shoulder. Across Somewhere, In Between is the pervading sense of frustration that the band, formed in 2014, haven’t been given the flowers they believe they’re due. And we get it. It must be disappointing to have done the hard yards and still be fighting for a seat at the table. But it means hater-baiting rants like STFU and Fuck Tha World make for incredibly salty listening. While the band claim several times here that they don’t give a fuck, they sure sound like they want your approval.

UnityTX’s sense of defiance comes out best on Enjoy Tha Show, where Jay brushes off racists and naysayers, ‘I’m expressin’ myself, standin’ my ground.’ UnityTX deserve more attention, they just need to rise above.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: FEVER 333, Poppy, Knocked Loose

Somewhere, In Between is released on March 13 via Pure Noise.