Even though I'm generally a fan of hard rock and metal, my tastes tend to run as far away from nu-metal and rap-rock as possible. While the two styles may be popular today they all tend to sound the same to me - devoid of originality and existing mainly as a cash cow for the industry. With that in mind, I can?t really say what made me decide to check out the Texas band Unloco and their new release "Becoming I" as they fit the nu-metal type almost perfectly.
The group didn't get the notice the band or their label, Maverick, had hoped with their first full-length album "Healing" which was released in 2001. Both parties figured it would be a breakthrough album that would make it big. It didn't and in the time following the album's release the band lost their guitarist to Goldfinger. Now they've returned in 2003 with "Becoming I" and I imagine this is probably their last chance with Maverick to do well. The group is poised for massive exposure to all the nu-metal kids, including stints on this year's Ozzfest and other big tours. I'm sure tons of kids will love this album and Unloco will sell lots of albums. Bully for them.
"Becoming I" isn't a bad album per se. These guys can play their instruments more than adequately and singer Joey Duenas' voice isn't completely annoying like a lot of his contemporaries. My biggest problem is that this sounds like every other nu-metal band out there. Unloco has the prescribed powerful rhythm section and memorable hooks that make the genre what it is. Couple that with lyrical content focused almost solely on personal pain and more angst than you can shake a stick at and you have the ultimate cliché of nu-metal. The group tries to mix it up a bit by offering a few slower tracks, like "Watching Me Slip" and the title track that reek of a whole new breed of whiny alterna-ballads type tracks that will surely please their target audience.
That's what it's all about with nu-metal - pleasing all the misunderstood teenagers and twenty-somethings who like harder music with plenty of gloomy lyrics that reflect how they're feeling. It's an outlet, I imagine, but I'd prefer to get the same cathartic release with some good old fashioned hardcore or punk. Unloco simply offers the same melodic rock that occasionally dips into harder riffs and screaming vocals that all the other nu-metal bands are doing right now. The industry really needs to drop the "nu" because none of these bands are doing anything particularly new or innovative.
For what it's worth, I do believe if Unloco picks up momentum with this album and their current tour they will end up with a lot of fans. The strategy of getting on Ozzfest will likely prove a beneficial one because the music on "Becoming I" isn't unlistenable, it's just not ground-breaking in the least. If you are looking for a heavy dose of angst, then Unloco will likely appeal to you, but if you are looking for hard rock or metal that doesn't rely on formulas, mass-marketing appeal, and bellyaching lyrics then you'll need to look elsewhere. My only hope is that Unloco breaks free of the mold and strikes out in a new direction, because they could be so much better.
Track Listing:
1. Crashing
2. Failure
3. Hands And Knees
4. Drowning In It
5. Empty
6. Bruises
7. Making Me Hate You
8. Watching Me Slip
9. Becoming I
10. Fold
11. Neurotic
12. Texas
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