The Union Underground

The Union Underground formed in San Antonio, Texas, in 1996, when singer and guitarist Bryan Scott and guitarist Patrick Kennison, friends since junior high, began recording together at their own studio, Studio Underground. Drummer Josh Memolo and bassist John Moyer completed the lineup after manager James Jeda picked up the band and helped land a deal with Portrait Records, an imprint of Columbia.

Their sound leaned on downtuned, industrial-inflected guitar riffs, programmed textures and heavy production, placing them alongside the nu metal acts of the era while retaining a certain Southern hard rock weight. The approach carried over from the demo tapes the pair had been selling locally before signing.

The band's only major label album, ...An Education in Rebellion, appeared in 2000 and produced the singles 'Turn Me On "Mr. Deadman,"' 'Revolution Man' and the fan favourite 'South Texas Deathride.' It spent months on the charts and sold an estimated 350,000 copies within two years, while the band opened shows for Marilyn Manson that same year.

Their song 'Across the Nation' became the entrance theme for WWE's Raw brand from 2002 to 2006, bringing the band wide exposure even as they were winding down. A live compilation, Live...One Nation Underground, appeared in June 2002, shortly before Portrait Records folded and the band broke up.

Members scattered afterward: Moyer went on to play bass for Disturbed, Kennison joined Heaven Below, and Scott later formed Cult to Follow and, in 2015, the project Into the Fire. The Union Underground itself resurfaced briefly in 2016 with talk of new material, though little has been released since.