Unseen

Boston’s Unseen exemplifies old-school hardcore, from its shout-along English Oi! roots to America’s machine-gun tempos, extending the legacy of classic Beantown forefathers Gang Green and Slapshot. It’s the sound of Joe Strummer’s “White Riot” roaring down suburban boulevards like a trench-coat mafia hopped up on piss and vinegar, looking for a revolution to start. Fermenting in dank, water-damaged basements, Unseen’s alienation signifies a willingness to call bullshit on society’s foundation of lies, hypocrisy and economic exploitation. The jackhammer rhythms and chugga-chugga Black Flag-inspired riffs walk the line between familiar and classic, but are delivered with such passion and proficiency that it’s hard not to get swept up in the pissed-off social critiques and join in on choruses to songs such as “Weapons of Mass Deception,” “Protect & Serve,” and “Greed Is a Disease.” Curmudgeonly misanthropy? Perhaps, but it beats ironic detachment.