Unpersons (band)

Last updated

Unpersons
Origin Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Years active1997–2007
Labels
  • At a Loss
  • Life Is Abuse
  • Born to Die
  • Fish Fur
Past members
  • Sanders Creasy
  • Carl McGinley
  • Judson Abbott
  • Matt Maggioni
  • Andrew Fidler
  • Robert

Unpersons was an American heavy metal band from Savannah, Georgia. Active from 1997 until 2007, its members would go on to play in other notable bands that were involved in Savannah's heavy music scene.

Contents

History

Unpersons was formed by guitarist Sanders Creasy and drummer Carl McGinley [1] in 1997 in Savannah, Georgia. [2] The band's name is a reference to George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984 . [1] Andrew Fidler was the group's original bassist and was 16 years old when they performed outside of Savannah for the first time. [3] Unpersons began touring in 2000 and released a self-titled debut extended play through the Fish Fur and Born to Die record labels that December. [4] It was around this time that the band's lineup stabilized after several early personnel changes. [1] Unpersons released music through independent record labels in the 2000s and toured frequently, performing alongside bands such as Baroness, [5] Black Cobra, [6] Kylesa, [7] and Weedeater. [8]

Kylesa guitarist and vocalist Phillip Cope produced Unpersons' studio recordings, [1] as he has done for Baroness and Black Tusk. [9] Unpersons ultimately released two full-length albums, three extended plays (including a live EP), and a split album with Baroness. [4] The split, titled A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk , was issued in June 2007 and featured the final material Unpersons would ever release. In January 2015, the band's two full-lengths and their songs from the split were made available on Bandcamp to stream and purchase as a music downloads. [10]

Several members of Unpersons would go on to play in other Savannah-based punk and metal bands. The group's original bassist, Andrew Fidler, created the independent label Hyperrealist Records and is a founding member of Black Tusk. [3] Drummer Carl McGinley joined Kylesa in 2006, [11] remaining with the band until it went on indefinite hiatus in 2016. [12] Bassist Matt Maggioni played in the short-lived band Karst during the mid-2000s, and later in Baroness from 2012 to 2013. [13]

Musical style

Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic described Unpersons' style as a "gonzo brand of post-Jesus Lizard noise rock, topped with drunken, slurred vocals." [2] Exclaim! 's Chris Gramlich said that "Unpersons are a gritty, dirty musical plague ravaging the listener," [14] and called the band's sound "abrasive noise that recall the time when the Jesus Lizard were gods, but heavier, mixed with more aggression..." [15] Last Rites writer Chris Chellis said, "I hear traces of everything from hardcore, stoner, doom and sludge in [Unpersons'] sound, with the latter being the most dominant of those four." [16] Erik Thomas from Teeth of the Divine said the band's music was "experimental yet rooted in traditional stoner/sludge metal," with "furious drumming amid [an] off beat, angular, staggering, almost Mastodon-ish (and Kylesa) take on stoner rock." He described the vocals as having a "slightly spazzy delivery that verge on screamo/emo/nu grind quirkiness." [17] In Music We Trust 's Jeb Branin called Unpersons' music "disturbingly dark and sinister hardcore," and said, "Listening to it is like experiencing a mental breakdown though music." [18]

Members

Final lineup
Early members

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums
TitleAlbum details
II
  • Released: August 2002 [19] [20]
  • Label: Fish Fur / Born to Die
  • Formats: CD, DL
III
  • Released: May 25, 2003 [21]
  • Label: At a Loss
  • Formats: CD, DL

Split albums

List of split releases
TitleAlbum details
A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk
(with Baroness)
  • Released: June 26, 2007 [22] [23]
  • Label: At a Loss
  • Formats: CD, LP, DL

Extended plays

List of extended plays
TitleEP details
Unpersons
  • Released: December 2000 [4]
  • Label: Fish Fur
  • Formats: 7"
IV: Self-Portrait
  • Released: June 2004 [24]
  • Label: Life Is Abuse
  • Formats: CD
Live at The Jinx
  • Released: 2006 [4]
  • Label: self-released
  • Formats: Cassette

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Unbound Zine Interviews - Unpersons". unboundzine.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2004. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Eduardo Rivadavia. "A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk - Baroness / Unpersons | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic.
  3. 1 2 "Split Interview & Stream: Black Tusk and Dead Yet?". Invisible Oranges . April 19, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Unpersons". Myspace . Archived from the original on February 20, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Baroness News". yourbaroness.com. Archived from the original on November 26, 2004. Retrieved September 20, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ↑ "Black Cobra and Unpersons tour". lambgoat.com. July 12, 2006. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  7. ↑ Scott Heisel (May 9, 2002). "Kylesa on tour". Punknews. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Unpersons tour". atalossrecordings.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2004. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  9. ↑ Matt Albers (September 29, 2015). "Band Interview: Kylesa". Damnation Magazine. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Unpersons Messages". Bandcamp . Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  11. ↑ "KYLESA BIO". alternativetentacles.com. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  12. ↑ Jon Hadusek (August 20, 2024). "Kylesa to Reunite in 2025 for First Shows in Nearly a Decade". Consequence . Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Baroness Part Ways With Bassist Summer Welch, Replacement Announced". theprp.com. April 11, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  14. ↑ Chris Gramlich (December 31, 2005). "Unpersons III". Exclaim! . Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  15. ↑ Chris Gramlich (June 24, 2007). "Baroness / Unpersons - A Grey Sigh In A Flower Husk". Exclaim! . Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  16. ↑ Chris Chellis (September 22, 2007). "Baroness / Unpersons – A Grey Sigh In A Flower Husk Review". Last Rites.
  17. ↑ Erik Thomas (July 17, 2007). "Reviews - Baroness/Unpersons A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk". Teeth of the Divine.
  18. ↑ Jeb Branin (2004). "Unpersons III (At A Loss Recordings)". In Music We Trust.
  19. ↑ "News". borntodierecords.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2002. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  20. ↑ "UNPERSONS CD". borntodierecords.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2002. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Unpersons III". atalossrecordings.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2004. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  22. ↑ Michael. "Baroness / Unpersons Split CD". Scene Point Blank. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  23. ↑ "A Grey Sigh In A Flower Husk". amazon.com. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  24. ↑ "UNPERSONS IV - Self Portrait CDEP LIFE 030 OUT NOW!!". lifeisabuse.com. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
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