Unwound - Repetition (Album Review)

 

Unwound - Repetition

(1996)

My copy: 2021 limited reissue on silver marble vinyl by Numero Group. 

Repetition was Unwound’s fifth full-length for the Kill Rock Stars label and is the best hybridization of their post-hardcore roots and fresh, psychedelic influence. While not as sprawling and deep as Leaves Turn Inside You, it is indeed the best of their harsher, noise-rock-centric sound. 

The introductory samples of “Message Received” pull listeners in before the music forcefully enters with spasming, snake-like bass riffs wriggling under sharp, raking guitar and dynamic drums. Trosper’s voice is once again a pure manifestation of desperate anger, though they break into pockets of reflection more frequently on Repetition, creating unique emotional swings. “Corpse Pose” is their biggest claim to fame, understandably so as it is a near perfectly executed beacon of post-hardcore music; from Vern’s undeniable bass groove to Justin’s rigid, tearing guitar riffs or Sara’s intelligent percussive choices, every single element is working perfectly in unison to deliver a powerful rhythmic discharge. 

The album then plunges into razor-like syncopated guitar chords on “Unauthorized Autobiography,” with an amazingly paranoid bass melody that helps elevate the track into new territory. “Lowest Common Denominator” lashes from industrial guitar shrieks to pulsing bass that boils steadily, like bubbles in a witch’s cauldron. By now their talent for songwriting has fully matured, with each song moving seamlessly between juxtaposed tones. “Sensible” is a brief and mysterious interlude centered on a single bass riff and assorted experimental guitar manipulations.

Then their most cathartic song yet manifests in the shape of “Lady Elect,” which forgoes Justin’s typical shouting for oddly soothing progressions and singing that retains a certain melancholy even as the drums peak in density. The wailing feedback and vocal mantra on “Fingernails On A Chalkboard” make sense for an album named Repetition, with the drums stealing the show away from the guitar and bass. The rapid freakout “Murder Movies” is so balanced between spastic performing and meticulous writing that it feels much longer than its short runtime. While still impressive, “Next Exit” is only really interesting in its final moments as all semblance of melody is burned away with diseased guitar feedback. 

“Devoid” is secretly one of the catchiest vocal tunes, with melodies coinciding neatly with sliding bass melodies. They use similar triad progressions across the record, but always manage to fill each instance with a new sense of grandeur and density. “Go To Dallas And Take A Left” is refreshingly lighthearted, borrowing from no wave as it speeds into a maximalist crescendo of collapsing drums and atonal saxophone sirens. Lastly, “For Your Entertainment” is a wonderfully expressive chronicle of their growth as a band; with explosive choruses that represent everything the band has conveyed with their music thus far. Unwound are not just cynical, nihilistic jerks - they are fighting on the behalf of every disillusioned spirit of their generation with disparate music that reaches into the soul.

While the vocals are quiet as they typically are, Repetition still rises as their second best album (Leaves will always hold the #1 spot). For a band that had been slowly upgrading the same style of music with each passing full-length, nothing feels rehashed or hastily made about Repetition.