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.
Fed Up
The Unseen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everyone else has it I guess I'm blind
NO all I see is utter lies
Shake my head and close my eyes
But I cant escape and I question myself why?
Call it negativity - it's reality
You've got eyes look and you'll see
Envisioning life through my eyes
It's coming back it's oh so clear
I used to feel sorrow now I don't care
Depression, anger, hate, ignite
It detonates and I feel all right
You all feed the fire
I'll sit and watch it burn
Oh.
I wish that I was blind
Fed up
I'm fed up and I wish that I was blind
In the song "Fed Up," The Unseen explores the mind of someone who is immersed in feelings of loneliness and unhappiness, while observing a world full of people who seem to be content and thriving. The opening line "Happiness is hard to find" is filled with melancholy, as the singer struggles to find a sense of happiness around them. They feel isolated, believing that they are the only ones who cannot seem to get a grip on their lives, saying "everyone else has it, I guess I'm blind." To the singer, the world around them appears to be filled with lies and deceit, and they cannot seem to escape this harsh reality.
However, the singer quickly realizes that they are not alone in their feelings. They call out the fact that the world can be a negative place, but to them, it's simply a reality. They acknowledge the fact that others may not see the world from their point of view, saying "you've got eyes, look and you'll see." The singer, being so fed up with it all, even wishes they were blind, so they wouldn't have to see the world through eyes that cannot find any happiness.
As the song progresses, the singer's feelings of sadness turn into anger, depression, and hate, which makes them feel alive. They feel like they are no longer just sitting back and taking it, but are actively participating in and perhaps contributing to the destruction around them. To them, the world is just like a fire, and the people around them are just feeding it, while they watch it burn. The song ultimately ends with them still wishing that they were blind, indicating their desire to escape a world that seems to be too much for them to handle.
Line by Line Meaning
Happiness is hard to find
It's difficult for me to find happiness.
Everyone else has it I guess I'm blind
I feel like everyone else is happy, but I'm not able to see it.
NO all I see is utter lies
I don't see happiness around me, instead I see only deceit and dishonesty.
Shake my head and close my eyes
I shut my eyes and shake my head in disbelief and disappointment.
But I cant escape and I question myself why?
Despite trying to ignore it, I can't escape this feeling and I'm not sure why I feel this way.
Call it negativity - it's reality
People may call it negativity, but it's actually the truthful reality.
You've got eyes look and you'll see
If you pay attention, you'll see what I see.
Envisioning life through my eyes
Imagine seeing life the way I do.
I'm so fed up I wish that I was blind.
I'm so tired of seeing it all that I wish I couldn't see anything at all.
It's coming back it's oh so clear
The negative feelings are returning and it's becoming more and more evident.
I used to feel sorrow now I don't care
I used to feel sad about this, but now I don't care anymore.
Depression, anger, hate, ignite
I feel depression, anger, and hate starting to manifest.
It detonates and I feel all right
When these emotions take over, I actually feel better and less weighed down.
You all feed the fire
Other people's actions are contributing to these negative emotions.
I'll sit and watch it burn
I'll just sit and watch the situation play out, without doing anything to stop it.
Oh.
An expression of resignation and hopelessness.
I wish that I was blind
I really wish I couldn't see any of this.
Fed up
A succinct way of expressing frustration and disappointment at the situation.
I'm fed up and I wish that I was blind
Repeating the chorus to re-emphasize my state of mind.
Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@klenole
THE UNSEEN ROOOCK!!!!! (Luv it!)