United By Fate

Rival Schools and Run For Cover Records have teamed up to reissue the band’s iconic 2001 album United By Fate. United By Fate is a special record that has defined an entire genre of music in the two decades since its initial release. United By Fate is the debut album from by post-Hardcore band Rival Schools. The album was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Luke Ebbin. Led by the former frontman of Quicksand and Gorilla Biscuits, guitarist Walter Schreifels, Rival Schools contain a who’s who of the New York post-Hardcore scene, and their first full-length album actually lives up to the expectations raised by their pedigree. From the opening “Travel by Telephone” to the heavy-noise breakdowns of the instrumental closer, “Hooligans for Life”, Rival Schools rarely let up on their melodic but forceful attack, and when they do briefly slow down, the success of their experiments often outweighs the failures. Pummeling tracks like “The Switch” show a commanding recognition of the members’ past glories, but there is a rock aspect to the music as well, and Schreifels’ stellar voice gives a constant boost to the band’s effectiveness. In their past, individual members of Rival Schools also played in CIV, Burn, and Die116. United By Fate is an impressive first record. “Used For Glue” and “Good Things” were released as singles, which charted at #42 and #74, respectively, on the UK Singles Chart.