The Unseen formed in Boston 1993 and released the demo EP Too Young To Know...Too Reckless To Care in 1994. Two other 7" EPs followed, before the release of their debut full-length, Lower Class Crucifixion on A-F Records. Another two albums followed on the same label before they signed to BYO Records, and then, Hellcat Records. Each of their albums have sold moderately better than previous releases.
The quintet also released a best-of compilation for the European market in June 2000 titled Totally Unseen: The Best Of The Unseen, which contained two previously unreleased tracks.
For the release of their 2001 album The Anger And the Truth, "Chainsaw" re-accompanied the band in the studio to record the song No Evacuation, a song he originally wrote.
After being a member of the band for nearly ten years and writing most of the material on Lower Class Crucifixion, So This is Freedom?, and The Anger and the Truth, Paul Russo left the band after only contributing vocals to one track on their fourth album Explode. Citing differences in direction, he is now the leader of The Strings, an indie rock/folk band. He remains friends with his former bandmates.
Mark Unseen, the lead singer, formed and currently runs ADD Records. He also briefly joined the Maine street punk group A Global Threat as a second singer, and recorded the full-length What the Fuck Will Change? and Until We Die before deciding to concentrate on his duties with The Unseen.
There has been some controversy concerning the band, including allegations that in recent years they have "sold out". Most widely cited is the fact that The Unseen have produced music videos to air on commercial music video channels such as MTV2, an avenue looked-down upon in the underground streetpunk scene. The band reacted to this perception with the song "So Sick of You."
They have toured Europe, North America, Australia, Japan, and Mexico with many punk heavyweights from The Bouncing Souls and Rancid to decidedly more hardcore outfits like Hatebreed and Sick Of It All. Since the departure of Paul, the band has used many replacements on tour such as members from The Virus, Strike Anywhere, and F-Minus, however, recently, on their MySpace page The Unseen have included a fifth band member, Jonny, an ex-guitarist of A Global Threat who was in the band at the same time as Mark.
2006 also saw the release of Tripp's book So This Is Readin'?, which details the life and hardships of being in an underground band with dry comedy. It started as a lengthy band history on the band's website, but after a few amusing "chapters" he was contacted by a publishing company to release it in book form.
In May 2006, The Unseen announced on their official website that they would begin writing their sixth studio full-length album during the summer of that year. The album, titled Internal Salvation, came out on July 10, 2007. The first song released from that album is a track titled "Right Before Your Eyes". In support of the new album, the band has joined the thirteenth Warped Tour.
Boston United
The Unseen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Skins and punks get together
We all know who are true friends
And we'll be together 'till the end
This is Boston, we are the punks and skins
This is Boston, the drinking never ends
This is Boston, don't give us any shit
Do what we wanna do
We are the proud, we are the few
If you don't dance, you won't get hit
So don't fuckin' cry about our pit
This is Boston, not New York or La
This is Boston, not DC or the East Bay
This is Boston, where it's at
This is Boston, fuckin' home of the rat
This is Boston, fuck you
The Unseen's song Boston United is a punk anthem that celebrates the punk and skinhead subcultures in Boston. The lyrics express a strong sense of camaraderie, loyalty, and defiance towards the rest of the world. The song opens with the provocative line, "Fuck the world, Boston's better", which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The punks and skins are portrayed as the true friends who stick together through thick and thin. The line "We all know who are true friends/And we'll be together 'till the end" highlights the bond between the members of these subcultures.
The chorus of the song reinforces the tribal identity of this community. The repetition of "This is Boston" serves as a rallying cry for the punks and skins who identify themselves as a distinct group. The line "the drinking never ends" suggests that alcohol plays a key role in their socializing, reinforcing the stereotype of the hard-drinking punk. The line "don't give us any shit" is a direct challenge to anyone who might try to mess with them. The line "skins and punks in the pit" refers to the mosh pits of their concerts, which are seen as a safe space for expressing their energy and aggression.
The second stanza of the song emphasizes the freedom and independence that the punks and skins enjoy. The line "Do what we wanna do/We are the proud, we are the few" suggests their nonconformist attitude towards mainstream society. The line "If you don't dance, you won't get hit/So don't fucking cry about our pit" highlights the primal nature of their mosh pit, where physical contact and aggression are seen as part of the experience. The final verse of the song makes it clear that the punks and skins have no interest in being like other cities or conforming to anyone else's expectations. Boston is their home, and they will defend it fiercely.
Line by Line Meaning
Fuck the world, Boston's better
We are proud of our city of Boston and believe it's better than anywhere else in the world.
Skins and punks get together
Members of the punk and skinhead subcultures come together in Boston.
We all know who are true friends
We have a tight-knit community in Boston and know who we can rely on for support and loyalty.
And we'll be together 'till the end
Our bonds formed through our shared love of punk rock and skinhead culture will last a lifetime.
This is Boston, we are the punks and skins
Boston is home to the punk and skinhead subcultures, and we are proud to be a part of it.
This is Boston, the drinking never ends
Drinking is a common activity among the punk and skinhead communities in Boston, and it's a part of our lifestyle.
This is Boston, don't give us any shit
We won't tolerate any disrespect or negativity towards our city or subcultures.
This is Boston, skins and punks in the pit
The pit (mosh pit) is a common feature of punk and skinhead shows in Boston, and we enjoy participating in it together.
Do what we wanna do
We adhere to our own values and beliefs, and we won't let anyone tell us what to do.
We are the proud, we are the few
We have pride in who we are, but we know we are a small minority compared to the mainstream.
If you don't dance, you won't get hit
Participation in the pit is optional, and those who choose not to dance won't be subject to physical contact.
So don't fuckin' cry about our pit
If you choose to participate in the pit and get hurt, don't complain about it as it's an accepted risk of being involved.
This is Boston, not New York or LA
Boston has its own unique cultural identity that sets it apart from other cities such as New York and Los Angeles.
This is Boston, not DC or the East Bay
Just as Boston is distinct from New York and Los Angeles, it's also distinct from other places like Washington DC and the East Bay area of California.
This is Boston, where it's at
Boston is a vibrant and exciting place to be, and it's where the punk and skinhead communities flourish.
This is Boston, fuckin' home of the rat
The rat symbolizes the gritty and rebellious nature of Boston's punk and skinhead cultures.
This is Boston, fuck you
We don't care what anyone else thinks; we are proud of who we are and where we come from.
Contributed by Benjamin I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.