by Kris Handel (@khandel84)
The Unfit are not here to play games. The PNW quartet have a knack for punching the listener in the face with blaring guitars, pounding kick drums, and vocalist Jake Knuth’s full, spitting ferocity. Disconnected is their first full-length release, a collection of early EPs spanning from 2020 to present. Their style has shades of 80s hardcore, with a fiery SST passion recalling legendary regional forebearers like Mudhoney and Tad. On Disconnected, The Unfit unleash a grinding and tireless assault, displaying a sizable range of stylistic impulses while remaining true to bruising rock.
The Unfit’s musical brawn is most evident on “Who’s in Charge” and “The Big Machine,” songs with pointed critiques that hit the bullseye with dead-on intensity. The former starts off with blaring distortion and Knuth’s vocals yowl before Michael Lee and TJ Johnson’s unrestrained, buzzsaw guitars arrive in full force. Knuth’s vocals are a bit reminiscent of Rites in Spring-era Guy Picciotto, as he snarls and deadpans with equal force to the pounding punk backing. “The Big Machine” is a stomping groove that would do the Stooges proud, as Knoth alternates fury and semi-spoken exhaustion, his voice is full of shred and menacing exclamations.
On the title track, the band hark back to the burgeoning Seattle music scene of the 80’s-early 90s by merging chugging, squawking punk breaks with Knuth’s detached vocal barks. Here, The Unfit add a maelstrom of influences into a compelling whole as the guitars rush and create a pulsing atmosphere that envelops the entire five-minute track. “To the Fullest” nods to the 80s DC hardcore scene with a touch of metal’s dramatic flair. Knoth’s vocals are full of contempt while the band speeds rapidly between the muscular snare snaps of Tyler Johnson. The Unfit’s disgust is most evident by the wall-to-wall growl they manage to conjure.
This is not pretty music. The Unfit isn’t here to coddle their audience. Yes, they will show off their snide sarcasm with a wink and a sneer, but they will not tolerate your pretense. This is a throwback record where the dirty laundry will be aired as The Unfit are unafraid to confront the uptick in society’s rampant ugliness. Throw this record on and let the energy run through your veins. Run through a glass door if the impulse drives you, The Unfit would probably smile and applaud.