United Nations - United Nations (2008, Reissue 2015)

Originally released in 2008, United Nations’ eponymous debut album was destined for commercial controversy from the moment it was announced. The anticipation surrounding its release was at a fever pitch as rumors circulated that the enigmatic band’s all-star lineup included members of Thursday, Glassjaw, and Converge. When the album finally dropped, its lawsuit-baiting artwork — essentially the originally cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album, with all of the Beatles engulfed in flames — immediately forced at least one major mall retail chain (rhymes with Not Tropic) to destroy all of the several thousands of copies it had ordered. The album’s entire pressing was then recalled, destroyed, and repackaged with artwork presumably less offensive to Sir Paul and Co. before finally being deleted from production altogether with in 2010.

Now, following the success of their 2014 album The Next Four Years, Collect and Temporary Residence have joined forces to reissue the album that started it all: United Nations has been remastered and repackaged with the original “banned” artwork restored to its litigious glory — now expanded to include the previously unreleased panels that complete the original triptych and housed inside of an embossed gatefold LP or blind-stamped CD digipack that we’ve been told looks vaguely reminiscent of another album. Don’t worry though, it’s cool this time. We’ll have our lawyers look into it.