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.
Preacher
The Unseen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I eat greasy meat and damn proud of it
I don't give a fuck about Catholics and Jews
Don't feed me your stupid fucking views
You can have your own feelings that's fucking fine
If that's what you live for you're not worth my time
That's fucking fine don't preach about it
Killing for abortion saw it on the news
Don't feed me your stupid fucking views
You can have your own feelings that's fucking fine
If that's what you live for you're not worth my time
All you straight edge kids just live your own lives
All you really are is fascists in disguise
Not against race just booze and smoke
If that's all you live for your life is a joke
You can have your own feelings that's fucking fine
If that's what you live for you're not worth my time
The Unseen's song Preacher is a rebellious anthem that challenges the beliefs and values of different groups in society. The song starts by rejecting the idea of being preached to about someone's diet or religion. The lead singer declares that he enjoys eating greasy meat and does not care about the beliefs of Catholics or Jews. He further asserts that he does not need others trying to influence him with their "stupid fucking views". The chorus emphasizes that people can have their own opinions, but if that's all they live for, they are not worth the singer's time.
The song continues to criticize those with prejudiced beliefs or those who are straight edge. The lead singer asserts that if someone wants to be a racist bigot, that is their decision but to not preach about it. The song then touches on the topic of killing for abortion before once again doubling down on the importance of individual beliefs. The final verse mocks straight edge kids for being "fascists in disguise". The singer claims not to be against race, only against the idea of abstaining from substances such as alcohol and tobacco.
Overall, Preacher is a fast-paced punk rock song that promotes individuality and freedom of thought. It is a rallying cry against those who would try to impose their beliefs on others and a declaration of the singer's right to live life on his own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't wanna hear about your vegan shit
The singer is expressing disinterest in hearing about someone's dietary choices.
I eat greasy meat and damn proud of it
The singer takes pride in their love for high-fat carnivorous foods.
I don't give a fuck about Catholics and Jews
The singer is indifferent to the religious beliefs of others.
Don't feed me your stupid fucking views
The artist does not want to be subjected to others' opinions or beliefs.
You can have your own feelings that's fucking fine
The artist acknowledges that others are entitled to their own emotions or beliefs.
If that's what you live for you're not worth my time
However, the singer disapproves of those whose lives are consumed by those emotions or beliefs.
If you wanna be a racist bigot
The singer points out the controversial topic of racism.
That's fucking fine don't preach about it
The artist suggests that if someone is racist, they should keep it to themselves instead of sharing it with others.
Killing for abortion saw it on the news
The artist references a recent news story involving violence surrounding the issue of abortion.
Don't feed me your stupid fucking views
The artist reiterates their disinterest in hearing others' opinions or beliefs.
All you straight edge kids just live your own lives
The singer addresses a specific group of people who abstain from drugs and alcohol.
All you really are is fascists in disguise
The artist accuses straight edge individuals of being authoritarian in nature, like fascists.
Not against race just booze and smoke
The singer clarifies that their disapproval is not related to race but is instead focused on drugs and alcohol.
If that's all you live for your life is a joke
The singer belittles those whose lives revolve solely around abstinence from drugs and alcohol, suggesting that they are not living fulfilling lives.
You can have your own feelings that's fucking fine
The singer repeats their recognition of others' right to their opinions or beliefs.
If that's what you live for you're not worth my time
However, the artist maintains their disapproval of others whose lives are consumed by those opinions or beliefs.
Contributed by Cameron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.