Los Angeles' the Unforgiven seemed to be the American counterpart to the Big Music surging through England in the mid-'80s -- the majestic, surging sound typified by U2, the Alarm, the Waterboys, and Big Country. Led by Steve Jones and featuring no less than four guitarists, the Unforgiven harnessed this arena-conquering roar and married it to imagery from the American West, a seemingly irresistible combination on paper that proved hard to peddle to America at large. Their lone album, an eponymous record released on Elektra in 1985, tanked and the group faded away, leaving behind a small cult that eventually clamored for a one-time reunion at the Stagecoach Festival of 2012. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine