Unsane is an American

noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise music, noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimal music, minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, a ...

trio that was formed in New York City in 1988. Its music touches on elements of

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...

and

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

. The writer Patrick Kennedy wrote, "While developing the blueprint for noise-metal bands to follow, Unsane cut a remarkable swath through

underground music Underground music is music with practices perceived as outside, or somehow opposed to, mainstream popular music culture. Underground music is intimately tied to popular music culture as a whole, so there are important tensions within underground ...

, inspiring a devoted, cult-like following around the world."

History

In 1988, the singer/guitarist Chris Spencer, bass guitarist Pete Shore and drummer Charlie Ondras were students at

Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. The college models its approach to education after the Supervision system, Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials. Sara ...

when they formed Lawn-Chair-Blisters before changing the name to Unsane. The band signed to Circuit Records and recorded tracks with

Wharton Tiers Wharton Tiers (born 1953, in Philadelphia) is an American audio engineer, record producer, drummer and percussionist. Biography After receiving a diploma from Villanova University (Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania), he moved to ...

for what was supposed to be their first album ''Improvised Munitions'', but the label did not release it. Unsane became part of the scene of loud, noisy, like-minded rock groups in New York City's East Village in the early 1990s. They often played gigs with bands like

Pussy Galore Pussy Galore is a fictional character in the 1959 Ian Fleming James Bond novel '' Goldfinger'' and the 1964 film of the same name. In the film, she is played by Honor Blackman. The character returns in the 2015 Bond continuation novel ''Trigg ...

Cop Shoot Cop Cop Shoot Cop was a noise rock group founded in New York City in 1987. They disbanded in 1996. The band were frequently classified as industrial rock, but were often quite different from many bands so dubbed: having a distinctive instrumental l ...

Surgery Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...

Helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

and the Reverb Motherfuckers. Members of Unsane also played in other bands such as Boss Hog and the Action Swingers. The band's first album, ''

Unsane ''Unsane'' is a 2018 American psychological horror film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer. The film stars Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharoah, Matt Damon, Juno Temple, Aimee Mullins, and Amy I ...

'', was released in 1991, and was known for its harsh music and gruesome cover art with a photo of a decapitated man on a New York subway track wearing a Members Only jacket. The band obtained this photograph from a friend who was working at the time with the police department, which was investigating the scene of the accident. In 1992, Ondras died of a

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

overdose and was replaced by

Vincent Signorelli Vincent Signorelli is a drummer from New York City. He has toured in clubs throughout the world, primarily with Unsane, NYC's infamous noise rock trio. He has played primarily with Swans, Unsane, and Foetus. Additionally, he has done session ...

(formerly of

Foetus A fetus or foetus (; plural fetuses, feti, foetuses, or foeti) is the unborn offspring that develops from an animal embryo. Following embryonic development the fetal stage of development takes place. In human prenatal development, fetal develo ...

and

Swans Swans are birds of the family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Someti ...

). In 1994, Shore left the band for unknown reasons and was replaced by Dave Curran. The band toured heavily, and released '' Total Destruction'' in 1993 on

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apart ...

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

. Their third album, '' Scattered, Smothered & Covered'', was issued by

Amphetamine Reptile Amphetamine Reptile Records (or AmRep Industries) is a record label founded in 1986 by Tom Hazelmyer in Washington state. The label specializes in noise rock and also released '' Strap It On'', the debut album by alternative metal band Helmet w ...

in 1995. The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for the song "Scrape", made for a mere $200, had significant play on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

. The video alternates between lo-fi rehearsal footage of Unsane and a series of serious

skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a ...

wipeouts. The band continued touring heavily (including a spell opening for

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

). Their next album, ''

Occupational Hazard An occupational hazard is a hazard experienced in the workplace. This encompasses many types of hazards, including chemical hazards, biological hazards (biohazards), psychosocial hazards, and physical hazards. In the United States, the Nation ...

'', was released by Relapse Records in 1998. Later that same year, seemingly fulfilling of the album's title, Spencer was attacked by four people after playing a concert in

Vienna, Austria en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. He was hospitalized with internal bleeding and underwent major surgery. As a result of his injury, and having toured over ten months of the year, the band decided to take a long break in 2000. Unsane regrouped in 2003 and released the CD/DVD compilation '' Lambhouse: The Collection 1991-1998'' the same year. This was followed by their fifth album, '' Blood Run'', in 2005.

Ipecac Syrup of ipecac (), or simply ipecac, is a drug that was once widely used as an expectorant (in low doses) and a rapid-acting emetic (in higher doses). It is obtained from the dried rhizome and roots of the ipecacuanha plant ('' Carapichea ipec ...

released the band's sixth studio album, '' Visqueen'', in 2007. Unsane-2

Their song "Committed" was used in the Activision/Neversoft video game ''

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater ''Tony Hawk's Pro Skater'', released as ''Tony Hawk's Skateboarding'' in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe, is a skateboarding video game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. It was released for the PlayStation o ...

''. Another Activision title, '' True Crime: New York City'', uses the song "D Train". Unsane released their seventh album '' Wreck'' on March 20, 2012, and toured with

Melvins Melvins (sometimes The Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Initially, they performed as a trio but later also sometimes appeare ...

in April and May that year. Unsane released their eighth studio album '' Sterilize'' on September 29, 2017. In 2019, Spencer announced the formation of a new band, Human Impact, with ex-Swans members Phil Puleo and Chris Pravdica. Spencer subsequently announced his departure from Unsane in August 2019, first in an interview about Human Impact with the Italian-language music zine ''Equilibrio Precario'', and then in English in a comment on a Facebook post of the same article. On August 27, 2021, Chris Spencer announced the formation of a new lineup of Unsane via the band's Instagram page, alongside new members Cooper and Jon Syverson, with the specific focus on performing the band's early material.

Activities outside the band

During the band's break between 2000 and 2003, Spencer moved to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

where he formed a new band with Curran called The Cutthroats 9 and released an album on

Man's Ruin Records Man's Ruin Records was an independent record label owned and founded by San Francisco Bay Area artist Frank Kozik. After the 1994 release of Man's Ruin's first record ''Experimental Audio Research (EAR): Delta 6'' Kozik worked with artists whom ...

. Curran formed J.J. Paradise Players Club and Signorelli opened a tattoo shop in Middle Village Queens. Signorelli later formed

A Storm of Light A Storm of Light is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 2008. They have been categorized as post-rock, post-metal, doom metal, sludge metal and hard rock, but have moved toward a darker and heavier metal sound. Rock-A-Rol ...

with Josh Graham (

Neurosis Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving chronic distress, but neither delusions nor hallucinations. The term is no longer used by the professional psychiatric community in the United States, having been eliminated from th ...

, ex-

Red Sparowes Red Sparowes is an American, Los Angeles-based post-rock band, comprising current and former members of Isis, Marriages, The Nocturnes, Halifax Pier, Angel Hair and Pleasure Forever. Their sound is characteristic of soundscape-influenced expe ...

Battle of Mice Battle of Mice was an American post-metal supergroup consisting of Julie Christmas (Made Out of Babies), Josh Graham (ex-Neurosis, ex- Red Sparowes, A Storm of Light), Joel Hamilton ( Book of Knots), Tony Maimone (Book of Knots, Pere Ubu), a ...

, Blood and Time) on guitar and vocals, Domenic Seita (ex-Tombs and Asea) on bass guitar, and Pete Angevine (Satanized) on additional drums and percussion. A Storm of Light spent most of the spring touring with Neurosis and they released their first album in 2008. In 2008 Spencer formed the band Celan with Ari Benjamin Meyers (Redux Orchestra), Niko Wenner (

Oxbow __NOTOC__ An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or bullock. A bow pin holds it in place. The term " oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-shaped meander in a rive ...

), Roeder and Xavi (both ex-flu-ID) and, in 2009, they released the well-reviewed album ''Halo'' on the Berlin label Exile on Mainstream Records and toured Europe. Spencer now plays in

band, Human Impact. In 2015 Spencer formed UXO with Steve Austin of Today is the Day, Aarne Victorine, and Pat Kennedy. The band released its self-titled album in 2016 on Reptilian Records. In 2019 Spencer formed Human Impact with ex-members of

and

and confirmed his departure from Unsane.

Members

Current line-up

* Chris Spencer – vocals, guitar (1988–2000, 2003–2019, 2021–present) *Cooper – bass (2021–present) * Jon Syverson – drums (2021–present)

Former members

*Dave Curran - bass guitar (1994–2000, 2003–2019) *

- drums (1992–2000, 2003–2019) * Charlie Ondras - drums (1988–1992) *Pete Shore - bass guitar (1988–1994)

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (

Matador A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...

) - 1991 * '' Total Destruction'' (Matador/

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

) - 1993 * '' Scattered, Smothered & Covered'' (

) - 1995 * ''

'' (

Relapse In internal medicine, relapse or recidivism is a recurrence of a past (typically medical) condition. For example, multiple sclerosis and malaria often exhibit peaks of activity and sometimes very long periods of dormancy, followed by relapse or r ...

) - 1998 * '' Blood Run'' (Relapse) - 2005 * '' Visqueen'' (

) - 2007 * '' Wreck'' (

Alternative Tentacles Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...

) - 2012 * '' Sterilize'' (

Southern Lord Southern Lord is an American heavy metal record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson. It specialized in experimental metal: particularly doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal. The label later expanded its line-up to include art ...

) - 2017

Compilation albums

* '' Singles 89–92, LP/CD'' (Matador) - 1992 * '' Lambhouse: The Collection 1991–1998'' (Relapse) - 2003 * ''Improvised Munitions & Demo'' (Lamb Unlimited) - 2021

Live albums

* ''Peel Sessions'' (Matador) - 1994 * ''Attack in Japan'' (Rebel) - 1995 * '' Amrep Xmas'' (

Man's Ruin Man's Ruin Records was an independent record label owned and founded by San Francisco Bay Area artist Frank Kozik. After the 1994 release of Man's Ruin's first record ''Experimental Audio Research (EAR): Delta 6'' Kozik worked with artists whom ...

) - 1997

Singles

* "Scumbait #1" split with

Cows Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

, Pagans, Bastards (Unsane - "Burn") (Treehouse) - 1989 * "This Town" single (Treehouse) - 1989 * "Concrete Bed" single (

Glitterhouse Glitterhouse Records is a German independent record label and mail order company based in Beverungen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was founded in the mid-1980s. From the late 1980s until the mid-1990s it was the European branch of the American la ...

) - 1990 * "Vandal-X"/"Streetsweeper" single (

Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...

) - 1990 * "Jungle Music" single (PCP) - 1991 * Split 7" with

Slug Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a smal ...

(cover of Slug's "Breathe the Thing Out") (

) - 1992 * "Body Bomb" 7" red vinyl single (

) - 1994 * "Sick"/"No Soul" single (

) - 1996 * "Committed"/"Over Me" single (Galaxia) - 1998 * "This Plan"/"Ha, Ha, Ha" single (DC Records) - 2001 * "Fix It"/"Wrung" single for Bash 17 (

Amphetamine Reptile Records Amphetamine Reptile Records (or AmRep Industries) is a record label founded in 1986 by Tom Hazelmyer in Washington state. The label specializes in noise rock and also released '' Strap It On'', the debut album by alternative metal band Helmet w ...

) - July 2017

The Peel Sessions

The band recorded three sessions. The first two were released as an EP in 1994, while the third session remains unreleased. * May 21, 1991 * November 26, 1992 * June 7, 1994

References

External links

{{Authority control Amphetamine Reptile Records artists Musical groups from New York City American musical trios Relapse Records artists American noise rock music groups American post-hardcore musical groups Alternative Tentacles artists Ipecac Recordings artists Matador Records artists Southern Lord Records artists