UnityTX: Somewhere, In Between…
Somewhere, In Between… fuses hardcore and hip-hop elements to create a visceral, infectious listening experience. Guttural, raw lyrics matched by an unwavering attitude show UnityTX’s determination to be a typhoon in the hardcore landscape.
UnityTX has always been ahead of the curve, and their second album proves it. Feelings of discomfort and frustration are at the center of the record, but the band avoids the repetitive angst that often affects music with similar themes. The result is a cathartic and intense experience that makes you nod your head one moment and feel like punching a hole in the wall the next.
'SABOTAGE’ rips into gear with a trap-leaning electronic beat before climaxing in a brutal breakdown that dropkicks you straight into ‘HEINOUS’. Brandon Castañeda’s sharp guitar work locks perfectly with Jonathan Flores’ rapid drum fills and steady 4/4 rhythm. The real highlight is the contrast between the brutally honest verses and a chorus that sticks in your head:
“I hate that I will never feel like I belong
Always being treated so different by people
And no matter what, we won't ever be equal.”
‘LUCID’ keeps the aggressive momentum going, while ‘BODY ROC WADE’ offers a brief bounce-trap detour. Here, the band’s hip-hop influence stands out. Jay Webster (aka SHAOLIN G) threads his flows through a track filled with jump-style energy and flashes of early trap rap.
The album reaches its heaviest moments with ‘PARANOIA’ and ‘FUCK THA WORLD’, delivering the chaotic energy hardcore fans crave. The line “why are you acting like you’re better off without me baby?” in ‘PARANOIA’ works as both a haunting hook and a pointed message to fans and the industry alike. Kendrick Nicholson’s heavy bass and Castañeda’s reverb-soaked guitar push the track forward with pure adrenaline. ‘FUCK THA WORLD’ keeps the intensity high, slowly building tension before erupting into a defiant explosion of sound, with fry screams rising into a relentless climax.
The tone turns darker with ‘READY 2 DIE PT. 2’, which nods to early gangster rap before leading into ‘ENJOY THA SHOW’. The themes continue through gritty lyrics and a mix of hardcore and nu-metal textures:
“I open my mouth
I'm expressin' myself
Standin' my ground
Keepin it tenfold
Despite the people
Who bitch when I'm loud.”
‘IN BETWEEN’, ‘COME N GO’ and ‘INSIDE OUT’ keep the album moving forward with pounding breakdowns and hard-hitting verses. ‘STFU’ shifts slightly, leaning into a nu-metal and hardcore hybrid that ends up being both the album’s catchiest song and one of its highlights.
“I resist, it pulls me down, I don't feel so sincere
Close my eyes, deep in my mind, it was just far too blear
Hold my hands up to the sky, I need faith to kill fear
But no one can hear me”
‘CONTEMPT’ resets the mood with unsettling sound design before leading into the final track, ‘CRASH N BURN’. The closer feels heavy and reflective, capturing both the exhaustion of the fight and the determination to keep going. It’s a cathartic ending that feels just as personal as it is intense.
With this release, UnityTX delivers an album built on innovation and aggression, two qualities the band has carried for years. As collaborations like Knocked Loose and Denzel Curry’s ‘Hive Mind’ show, genre-blending within hardcore is gaining momentum. UnityTX, however, has been experimenting with that mix long before it became a trend.
Somewhere, In Between… demands attention. It channels the frustration of being overlooked while pushing forward with fists clenched and a middle finger raised to anyone standing in the way.