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Unsane

Visqueen (Ipecac Recordings)

While most of its New York City noise-rock contemporaries have either smoothed out their abrasive edges or disintegrated altogether, corrosive power trio Unsane has kept its brutal vision intact for nearly two decades. Known for blood-splattered album art that matches the grim music inside, guitarist-singer Chris Spencer, drummer Vinny Signorelli, and bassist Dave Curran elevate their cacophonous template to new heights on Visqueen. "Against the Grain" starts things off with a spare drumbeat and an understated guitar figure before Spencer erupts with a massive riff and the kind of self-loathing vitriol ("I know I fucked up/ I can't make this go away") that's his stock in trade. A blues influence that informed the guitarist's S.F.-based side project Cutthroats 9 takes a more prominent place on the new material, particularly the menacing slide-guitar-and-harmonica gallop of "This Stops at the River" and the grinding dirge of "Windshield." Visqueen delivers a touch more melody than the average Unsane effort, but the album still comes packed with plenty of eviscerating grit and fury to suitably damage the ear canals of longtime fans. Dave Pehling

Details

Unsane plays on Tuesday, June 5, at 9 p.m. Admission is $10; call 621-4455 or visit www.bottomofthehill.com for more info.
Bottom of the Hill

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