By SoDak
In just a few years, User Unauthorized, a punk rock band from Austin, Texas, has already put out three records. These youngsters are focused and driven, writing songs in the spirit of punk hardcore from the mid-1980s and early 1990s. They show no signs of slowing down. I had the pleasure of seeing them play a garage show this summer, as they toured across the United States.
Their first seven-inch record, Pigs Got Ahold of Me, consists of two versions of the title track—one sung in English, the other in Spanish. In classic punk rock fashion, it is an anti-cop song addressing police brutality and how pigs have a license to kill. Perhaps, because of the subject and the style of punk rock, I am reminded of the Authorities’s “I Hate Cops.” Nevertheless, I love how User Unauthorized sing “Piggy, piggy, piggy! Let me go! I’ve got rights! Don’t ya know!” in the chorus. A simple fuck you to the police is always welcomed in this household.
Watch Them Fall, the second seven-inch record, includes five raging, straightforward punk songs. The vocals and music include elements of Deprived and Detestation, as the songs are slightly crusty, but with a solid foundation in 1980s hardcore. The guitar parts are catchy and add more distinction to the songs than the aforementioned bands. Each line is shouted, which I suppose is reflected in all of the exclamation points in the lyric sheet. “A.P.D.” is another anti-cop song, but seems more pissed and concrete, which I appreciate here. “Stomp” is a fast-paced anti-Nazi, anti-racist song. Zach Blair, from Rise Against, contributes a nice guitar solo on this one. Other songs on the record address various hypocrisies, frustrations, inequalities, and struggles of living in U.S. society. The title track gives voice to these issues:
Fuck the flag and fuck the state!
Up in arms take to the streets.
No more authority.
So burn the precincts and smash their mansions.
‘Cause they sit high, while we split our rations.
We’ll take what’s ours, and watch them fall.
This year, User Unauthorized put out a six song twelve-inch EP, Harsh Truth. This is my favorite release by them to date, as there is more musical variation, between and within the songs. The drums and bass stand out a bit more, revealing some cool contributions on the songs. The song “Predator” kicks off the record, addressing sexual violence. It has a great mid-tempo start before kicking into high speed. It also includes a slower, breakdown section, which helps change things up a bit. When I saw them play live, I really loved the energy and intensity of this one. The slower guitar part that starts “No Breakdown” adds a nice menacing touch to the song, which carries over into some of the interesting changes later in the song, where the deep drum and bass sounds come to the front in a powerful way. “Asphyxiation” has a nice slow chorus, “I hate living in the city,” as part of the description of the economic inequality and urban decay that plagues the country. On “Harsh Truth,” David Rodriguez, from the Casualties, provides additional vocals, which adds a nice dynamism to this rocker.
It is refreshing to hear some youthful anger that is directed at the oppressing forces and structures of society. All of the songs by User Unauthorized include very direct lyrics and punchy music. They help provide a swift kick to the ass, which is definitely needed.
Order their records at Rabbit Rabbit Records:
