Rat Conspiracy, its name a one-time working title for Unwounds 1993 debutthe earliest Kill Rock Stars LPbrings the roiling, watershed Fake Train into natural integration with its sibling record, 1994s New Plastic Ideas, on which the band branch[ed] out into propulsive odd meters…and traumatic contrasts between loud and soft, pulling the arty riffage into much tighter focus. Trouser Press]. Both get exacting remasters and replica sleeve treatment, while the sets third LP tracks Unwounds restless work toward synthesis with the Mkultra and Negated 7″ material, previously unissued radio sessions, indie comp rarities, and the spidery Minutemen cover Plight.

This chapter intros the Olympia, Washington, noise-punk trio anew, kicking off with hi-hat thwaks on Dragnalus from drummer Sara Lund, whose lockstep partnership with Justin Trosper and Vern Rumsey marked the forging of a 1990s indie-rock legend. The bands advancing threat is captured in 32 tracks, a trove of house-show b&w period photographs, and a vivid 10,000-word narrative by latter-day Unwound diarist David Wilcox.