ALBUM REVIEW: Unite Against Society – U.A.S. (self-released)

Unite Against Society are a streetpunk band from the Belgian city of Herentals, formed back in 1996 by four friends who got together to play some punk and Oi! covers.

They started out playing songs by their favorite bands such as The 4 Skins, Cock Sparrer, The Ejected, and Smegma, whose song United inspired their name.

Their first album, Oi!, Loud, Fast and Proud, appeared in 1997, and in 2001, the band were signed to the Helen of Oi! label (home to releases by the likes of Oxymoron, Lower Class Brats and Hard Skin) for the follow-up, Loved By Few.

They began to pick up gigs in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy and England, sharing the stage with the likes of Oxymoron, The Last Resort, Discipline, Deadline, The Business, GBH, The Exploited, Evil Conduct and many more.

In 2007 they self-released their third album, Our Way, but in 2010 they decided to take a break, a decision made easier by the fact their guitarist had moved to America.

Fast forward to 2018, and things began to stir again for Unite Against Society, with a new guitarist and drummer on board to make them a five-piece.

The first fruits of the new line-up appeared in April 2019, when three tracks were released on their Bandcamp page. One Man’s Game is the most typically-streetpunk-sounding song on the album, while Divide & Conquer is Discharge-like, if not quite as fast as the D-beat legends, and the furious Fuck You recalls The Exploited.

Those three songs form the backbone of what’s been expanded into a nine-song record, and sound far better in the context of an album. Available to stream now on their Facebook and Youtube pages, it will be available on vinyl in December, and on CD and cassette next year.

The new guys have made their own mark on the band, and although their uncompromising sound remains grounded around the likes of Discipline and The Last Resort, there’s more of a hardcore and thrash influence than previously.

War On Us is a spirited opener, and could be Subhumans with added heavy metal riffs, while Roadkill is a hard and heavy mix of hardcore and metal.

I Do Believe is a more straightforward punk song, with chugging guitar and gang vocals, while after a Thin Lizzy-like opening, Braindead erupts into the sort of song you expect from NYC streetpunks The Casualties.

Things are rounded off with the five-minute-plus U.A.S., which sounds like about three songs blended into one, and leaves you wanting more.

Fans of old will find enough in this first U.A.S. album in 13 years to tempt them back, while it should also pick up plenty of new cross-genre followers. 7/10.

Gary Welford
gary.ipamusic@gmail.com
ipamusic.co.uk owner