The Unsatisfied Street Shaman

Rejoice and BEHOLD! One of the best bands to ever venture out of the South, The Unsatisfied, recently released a new EP, appropriately entitled: “Street Shaman”! Before we get into that, let’s talk shop about these Unsatisfied guys; they’ve been around a little over 30 years, having graced the stages from hell to the legendary CBGB’s, opening for bands like the Misfits and The Impotent Sea Snakes along the way! If you can think it, these guys have done it – from fighting with skins from the stages of the Masquerade to fighting their way out of roughneck bars all over the USA. The band was also the subject of a beautiful documentary called “Ambition Withdraw” a few years back. The film was based on the band’s daily, family, and professional lives and what it’s like to juggle all of that and be part of the madness that is the Unsatisfied. Personally, I thought it was great and it won several accolades. Actually I thought it would’ve given the band the extra push they needed to cross over into the ‘bigs’, alas it wasn’t meant to be. However, that didn’t stop The Unsatisfied – nothing can – this band just won’t quit! Not to make light of it, but when the band loses a member, they just plug another one in and continue slaughtering audiences left and right, it’s an ugly, sexy machine that’ll chew you up, spit you out and have you crawling back on your hands and knees begging for another shot.

Musically, the band’s sound twists and mangles genre’s – what could sound Punk to you could sound Glam to another. Personally, I’d call it a masterful blend of the late 60’s/70’s Glam Punk mixed with shades of the mid to late 80’s Metal scene – and I don’t mean any of that kooky cookie cutter stuff – I’m talking Iggy Pop meets the New York Dolls meets The Cult and they share a handle of whiskey and then they all head to Ziggy Stardust’s place and snort lines off the MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams album”. It’s a mesmerizing, captivating and down right religious experience!

Let’s talk the band’s latest, “Street Shaman”. Firstly it’s a four song ep, which is a little disappointing but that’s the fan in me wanting more, I’m greedy, I won’t deny that. This band could record a double album with 40 brand new tracks and it wouldn’t be enough for me – I want it all! This new slab of love was engineered by the legendary Joe Funderburk at the Creative Shop in Nashville TN. Funderburk has worked with some of the greats in the industry: Hank III, The Judds, and Emmylou Harris. Making this EP even more notorious is the accompaniment of Duane Denison (Jesus Lizard, Tomahawk, Hank III). Not only did Denison co-produce with Funderburk, he also played guitar on all four tracks further adding depth to an already stacked line up of guitar wizards found in the “punkest” guitarist I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes – Wayno Shadwick and lest we forget the infamous Johnny Motherfucking Stockman! If the Cult were to lose Billy Duffy, Stockman would be the most logical replacement, the dude’s guitar swagger is second to none – absolutely one of the best guitarist in the indy scene today.

So now that we’ve talked the recording bit and you know it’s legit, let’s get down to brass tacks or well, shattered glass and blood!

The EP’s opening track, “Slugs”,  sets a frenzied pace immediately with vocalist Eric Scealf beckoning for an “outlaw” while in the chorus he screams feverishly, “Oh my God, my gun only has 3 slugs”! Scealf’s graceful penmanship tells the rousing story of an outlaw that’s coming for him and makes it incredibly believable. Vocally, you can’t categorize or compare him to anyone current or past in the music scene, he stands alone, the King of his own mountain. This track is a perfect example of the genre bending the Unsatisfied is known for – Glam/Punk/Rock and it’s all in your face! Next up we have the blitzkrieging tune, “Terrorist”, this one has an eerie melody line running consistently through the entire track. I would suppose it pairs well with the overall feel and of course Scealf’s mournful screams of “Making Love”. From where I’m standing, the lyrics touch on the supposed softer side of a terrorist’s mindset; odd thought process, but it piques the interest and offers an alternative view. The last two tracks on the EP, “White” and “Angelic Wall”, are a spectacular surprise as they’re both fresh renditions of very old tunes from the band’s historic discography. Forgive me, but I can’t recall which releases they’re originally from, it could have been “Lustcraft”, “Valley of the Freaks” or “Insanity Revival”. Nevertheless, I just name dropped 3 ‘must have’ releases – if you ever see them, buy them right then and there! As for the fresh takes on these tunes, the band hits a grand slam! “Angelic Wall” is one of the more hypnotic tunes from the band’s history in my opinion; the riffs, melody lines, lyrics, and movements are spellbinding. Denison’s presence is felt specifically here, it has that ‘the sky is falling’ 90’s feel to it. “White” is what I’d consider one of the band’s heaviest songs, I’d say it’s a cross between early Soundgarden with nods to Sabbath riff wise; definitely something unexpected at the end of this EP, but it rounds it out nicely and leaves you wanting just a little more.

The Unsatisfied’s “Street Shaman” takes the album of the year tag over this way, it’s a much needed shot in the arm of today’s music – you need to hear this, your friends and family need to hear this!!!!!!

You can download the album at any & all of your favorite stream sites or you can purchase the disc from cd baby or better yet, touch base with the band directly on facebook and buy it directly from them. This isn’t the only release they have available, there are several albums floating around out there that you need! If I’m not mistaken, they might have a free album on their website. Don’t snooze, look into it, check it out, this band could save your life – they certainly saved mine a long time ago!

http://www.theunsatisfied.com/

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/unsatisfied

https://www.facebook.com/theunsatisfied/