Uniform – American Standard (Review)

Uniform are an industrial band from the US and this is their fifth album.

Ever since discovering Uniform on their 2018 album The Long Walk I’ve looked forward to every subsequent release. Whether it’s their collaborations with The Body in 2019, (Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back), or Boris in 2023, (Bright New Disease), or their most recent full length in 2020 Shame, Uniform always produce music that’s worth exploring. All of which is to say that American Standard is hotly anticipated.

American Standard is a raw and visceral exploration of illness. The subject matter is inseparable from the musical expression of it. The material on American Standard is personal and unflinching, making for a record that’s utterly absorbing.

Compared to their previous couple of albums American Standard showcases a longer form of songwriting than I associate with Uniform. The duration of the record is 40 minutes, but there are only four songs, and over half of the running time is taken up by the opening title track, which clocks in at a mammoth 21 minutes. We also get assailed by some different types of soundscapes than the band typically deliver.

The four songs are layered works that bring together a multitude of different component parts into a compelling whole. There are industrial, rock, doom, metal, and punk elements, all of which are packaged up with experimental sounds and ideas. There are even some black metal influences apparent, which I wasn’t expecting. These are all then shaped by the idiosyncratic style of the guiding minds behind Uniform, resulting in music that is striking in its potency and impact. There’s a beauty in this darkness. Amidst the heaviness and the abrasive self-directed hostility lies a beauty that comes from art-as-catharsis.

American Standard is intense and involved, yet also diverse and multifaceted. It’s a record that has a lot to offer. It’s easy to enjoy in a surface way, as the songs are well-crafted slabs of quality, but there is so much depth here that time and repeated exposure are required to truly appreciate what Uniform have created. All of the songs stand out, but I have to say that This Is Not a Prayer might be one of the best songs released this year.

This is more than I was expecting from a new Uniform album. They have pushed themselves hard on American Standard, and the results stand tall on their own merits for all to see.

Essential listening.