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.
Victims
The Unseen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leave you lying on the ground will you be
It's victim? The choice is really yours
People will try to intimidate,
They take advantage and manipulate,
Humanity's a vulture picking at our corpse
Oh.
defiant, self reliant, refuse to be silent
If you let them break you then your will is
Not your own follow your instincts,
You're not a mindless clone,
I may not have the answers and I may not know what's right
but I refuse to be a victim it's my fucking life
I refuse to be a victim and I refuse to be ashamed,
to live my life as I see fit I am free from blame
The Unseen's song "Victims" talks about the harsh realities of the world we live in. The lyrics suggest that the world is a cruel place that can beat you down and leave you feeling helpless. The song discusses how people can be intimidating and manipulative, and how society as a whole can be vultures, picking at our souls. Despite all of this, however, the song encourages us to remain defiant, self-reliant, and refuse to be silenced. The lyrics urge us not to let others break us down and to follow our instincts. The chorus is a powerful expression of this sentiment: "I refuse to be a victim it's my fucking life / I refuse to be a victim and I refuse to be ashamed, to live my life as I see fit I am free from blame."
Overall, the song is about empowerment and taking control of our lives despite the obstacles we face. It encourages us to be independent thinkers and to make our own way in the world. By refusing to be victims, we can take charge of our own destiny and live our lives on our own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
This world will kick you when your down
Life can be hard and unforgiving, and it's easy to fall when things get tough.
Leave you lying on the ground will you be
When things get really hard, it can be tempting to give up and stay down.
It's victim? The choice is really yours
We always have a choice between being a victim and taking control of our own lives.
People will try to intimidate,
Bullies and manipulators will try to push you around and make you feel small.
They take advantage and manipulate,
Some people will use your weaknesses against you to get what they want.
Humanity's a vulture picking at our corpse
In a harsh world, people are often looking out for themselves and willing to take advantage of others.
Frustrated, alienated, won't be intimidated
Despite feeling misunderstood and isolated, the singer refuses to give in to fear.
defiant, self reliant, refuse to be silent
The artist wants to stand up for themselves and be heard.
If you let them break you then your will is
If you allow other people to control your life, you are giving up your own power.
Not your own follow your instincts,
You have to trust yourself and do what feels best for you, even when others are trying to influence you.
You're not a mindless clone,
You are an individual with your own thoughts and feelings, and you should never let anyone make you feel otherwise.
I may not have the answers and I may not know what's right
The artist doesn't claim to have all the answers or know what's best for everyone.
but I refuse to be a victim it's my fucking life
Despite the challenges and uncertainties of life, the singer is determined to take control of their own destiny.
I refuse to be a victim and I refuse to be ashamed,
The singer is taking a stand against those who would try to make them feel small or unworthy.
to live my life as I see fit I am free from blame
The singer is taking responsibility for their own choices and is not afraid to take risks, even when others might judge them.
Contributed by Isaiah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ThisCantBeFreedom
One of their best new-era songs!