Universal Order Of Armageddon

UOA (Kill Rock Stars)
by Lex Marburger

Perhaps I’m a bit biased on this one, seeing as how they were one of the bigger bands in Annapolis, MD when I was living there in ’91. Universal Order Of Armageddon was known as the band who played, screamed, and convulsed harder than any other band we knew (they put Antioch Arrow to shame when they played together, no small feat in itself). Every show was a sweat-soaked, blood-curdling howl fest, and by the end of their set, they would invariably collapse on top of each other. Kill Rock Stars have compiled their various 7″s and 12″s, and put them on an eponymously titled CD. The result is an encapsulated look at a band that lived an hour away from bands like Nation of Ulysses, Rites Of Spring, and Fugazi. You get a similar sound, but there’s still enough distance to come up with something original. The singer (for lack of a better word), Colin, scrapes the lining of his trachea reaching for his words, and Toni, the guitarist, when not coming up with drunken weaving and stumbling lines and chords to abuse, scrapes his guitar against his amp for that extra grind. All the while, skin beater Brooks (ex-Born Against) is thrashing the shit out of his kit in an off kilter “is that really in time? Oh yeah, I guess it is” sort of way. UOA aren’t around anymore. Check out Toni and Scott (the psychotic bass player) in The Great Unraveling, and get UOA.