UNION 13 is perhaps one of the most underrated bands currently present in the punk rock scene. With an almost thrash like approach to playing of intensely passionate, sociocritical hardcore, UNION 13 doesn’t let anything get in the way of stopping its angst.

The band caught the attention of Epitaph’s head honcho Brett Gurewitz through the likes of RANCID, who couldn’t help themselves from raving about how impressed they were with the promise UNION 13 showed. The RANCID fellas helped the band out by “teaching us to be humble with our fans, and our music, and to be honest,” said lead vocalist, Edward Escoto. Since 1997, UNION 13 has released three full length albums, all out on Epitaph, with the first one produced by Lars of RANCID, and the most recent, “Youth, Betrayal, and the Awakening,” produced by Donnell Cameron.

What intrigued me the most about UNION 13 was their execution in forcefulness. Each song by the band has its own distinctive punch that at first throttles and then shreds. Although I was a fan of the band’s first two albums, it was their new one that put me over the top. Escoto attributed “…The Awakening” to having a more ferocious sound because the band members were no longer as idealistic as they once were. “We’re older and wiser now, and we see the world differently from when we started playing music.”

UNION 13 is an angry unit, frustrated with the bureaucratic obstacles that often appear in peoples lives. “The Game,” is a song that rallies against the forces that keep people content with mediocrity. Simply put, UNION 13 put forth a message that encourages one to think for themself without accepting what been carved out for them by society. Whlie the sounds of UNION 13 harken back to a time when BAD RELIGION, BLACK FLAG, TSOL, and any other of the early LA hardcore bands ruled the scene, UNION 13 shine with their ability to take the savage agression in their music and fine tune it with incredible precision and tons of exigence. This is especially obvious on the new release, where the band is found toting a much more polished sound than on previous outings.

When away from the studio though, UNION 13 focuses on giving the crowd the most for their money. “When we go on that stage and give it all we got and see the crowd getting into our music, and singing in unity and all enjoying and having a good time, it means the most,” claims Escoto. Seeing UNION 13 is definitely an experience, as their spanish roots and sometimes spanish lyrics bring forth a diverse crowd hardly seen at most punk shows. Tours haven’t always been so kind to the band as Edward recalled on stretch where, “on our first tour with the Voodoo Glow Skulls, we drove from California to Florida on a 1978 Ford Econoline that was all messed up. We left Cali with $800, and got to Florida with $5, because are van was breaking down through every state. We got to Florida with only one lug nut on the front tire. That was a memorable tour.”

It’s not everyday that a band like UNION 13 comes along and creates such a sonic fury, with intelligent and important lyrics holding it all together. The band has somewhat existed in the shadows of the punk rock giants that keep Epitaph at the forefront of the genre, but please, if you consider yourself a fan of hardcore, and you are looking for a soundtrack to sing along with while clenching your fists tight and wasting what’s left of your precious vocal chords, check out UNION 13 immediately by picking up a copy of their new one, “Youth, Betrayal, and the Awakening,” for you will not be disappointed.