Album Review: UnityTX - Somewhere, In Between…
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
I first discovered the metal/hip-hop fusion of UnityTX when they toured the UK in 2025 supporting Thrown. They whipped the Manchester crowd up into quite a storm that evening with frontman Jay Webster portraying all the elements of a Tasmanian Devil on stage. I was therefore extremely keen to get my hands on this new release.
They played new song “Heinous” that evening, to give us a taste of what we could expect when “Somewhere, In Between…” arrived, and it was like an assault on your senses. The Dallas-based band are now ready to get the praise they rightfully deserve, and the album has been inspired by the fact that Webster feels that they “haven’t really grown” and feel frustrated that others get more attention. When you listen to “Paranoia” you can sense the rage has built up and now spilling out here. They are pointing the finger, so you better sit up and listen.
I’ve always been a fan of the rap/metal combo, as it spits out lyrics with a crushing beat and an electronic edge, whilst delivering full-on energy, and UnityTX are one band who gives you 100% all the time. “Fuck Tha World” is gnarly and aggressive, with a cleaner vocal on the verse, so you get a great contrast. The songs are laced with frustration and discontent, but also the determination to prove people wrong, a cathartic crossroads.
“Lucid” is as heavy as anything you’ll hear in this genre and as Webster says, “we’re trying to evolve both as a band and as people”. The hip hop rhymes flow effortlessly on “Body Roc” with a beat that will get stuck in your head for days whereas “Enjoy Tha Show” is a gritty, evil little track, full of menace with twisted lyrics. They are relentless throughout and have lots to talk about as they express themselves and release a lot of built-up tension.
One thing is clear, this is a high-octane record, with no real let up, as you’ll experience when you hear “Inside Out” and “STFU”. There’s an air of brutality about final song “Crash N Burn” as it combines their raw power with an intensity that few can match. The beat drags you in to their world, before the apocalyptic electronics hit you square in the jaw, giving you the wake up call you need to release that UnityTX are here and not going away anytime soon, whether you like it or not.
