On their second full-length album, Union, the Anglo-American band the Boxer Rebellion continue to sound like U2 as fronted by Radiohead's Thom Yorke. The British rhythm section of bassist Adam Harrison and drummer Piers Hewitt sets up simple, repetitive patterns for each track, over which Australian guitarist Todd Howe plays simple, shimmering sequences that fill up the sound picture. On top is American singer Nathan Nicholson, singing in a whiny tenor disconnected lyrics, usually directed at a "you" who seems to be an unhappy love interest, expressing charges of betrayal and the overall inadequacies of life. The songs tend to build in intensity, without the tension being broken until the end. It's easy to imagine this working in concert, even if, on disc, the relentlessness can be wearing. ~ William Ruhlmann

Aug 2009

The Boxer Rebellion made history by becoming the first unsigned band to enter the US Billboard 100 Albums Chart on a digital only release when they pre-released their album, UNION, earlier in the year. UNION birthed a phenomenon when lead track, 'Evacuate' became the first iTunes Global Single of the Week, clocking up a staggering 560,000 downloads in 7 days, seeing the band take pole position on the iTunes US Alternative Albums Chart. The Boxer Rebellion were at one point outselling the likes of Coldplay and Kings of Leon, as they entered the iTunes UK Albums Chart at No. 4 within 48 hours of release. The four-piece band - comprising US vocalist Nathan Nicholson, Aussie guitarist Todd Howe and Brits Adam Harrison on bass and Piers Hewitt on drums have become known for spearheading the DIY approach to releasing records and remain proudly unsigned. For the first time, UNION will now be on sale in CD format, courtesy of HMV.

The aptly-titled and self-produced UNION is the triumphant result of what can be achieved when ability, commitment and relentless drive converge towards a shared, immovable goal. From the opening assault of 'Flashing Red Light Means Go' through the insistent 'Spitting Fire' to the redemptive closer 'Silent Movie', the overriding effect of UNION is of going through an emotional storm and arriving replenished on the other side. UNION follows the band's 2005 debut LP EXITS, of which NME proclaimed at the time, 'This band can alter your life.' Kerrang! wrote, 'If you're crying out for substance in music, The Boxer Rebellion are here to soothe your soul,' and both The Fly and MusicOMH dubbed the album 'flawless'. Mixed by Chris Sheldon (Foo Fighters, Biff Clyro, Oceansize) and mastered by Kevin Metcalfe (U2, Prodigy), UNION is without doubt a classic-in-waiting. We strongly suggest you add this album to your record collection - the album's success to date has been nothing short of ground-breaking.

**This CD version of 'Union' contains the bonus track 'Broken Glass' as well as a host of additional extras powered by OPENDISC® TECHNOLOGY.**

By inserting the CD into your computer, you will gain access to a constantly updated private site that currently contains:
* Free MP3 download of 'Murder Ballad'
* Free MP3s of instrumental versions
* Filmed lessons with the band on how to play their tracks
* Filmed track-by-track commentary
* One-to-one filmed interviews

• Q - 4 stars out of 5 -- "This is arena-sized rock music, redolent of THE BENDS-era Radiohead and full of shimmering grace."
• Clash - "[T]heir Coldplay sized songs [are] clearly designed to reduce Stadia to rubble with frontman Nathan Nicholson literally back from the brink..."