U.S.A. (Flatlinerz album)

U.S.A. (stands for "Under Satan's Authority") is the only studio album by American horrorcore trio Flatlinerz. It was released on September 6, 1994, via Def Jam Recordings. The recording sessions took place at Chung King Studios, Next Level Studios, and Greene St. Recording, in New York. The album was produced by Tempest, Rockwilder, Crush, DR Period, and Kool Tee, with Kenny Lee and Russell Simmons serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Gravemen, Kool Tee, Mayhem, Omen, Rockwilder, and the Headless Horsemen.

The album peaked at number 65 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 24 on the Top Heatseekers and found controversy for its satanic themes. Also, the three music videos the group shot for the album, "Live Evil", "Satanic Verses" and "Rivaz of Red", were barely played because of things such as frontman Redrum rhyming while hanging from a noose and Gravedigger rhyming from a crucifix. The album only sold 36,000 copies and the group, along with the Headless Horsemen and Omen, was dropped from Def Jam. Three singles were released, but only "Live Evil" made it to the charts, making it to No. 35 on the Hot Rap Singles.

Critical reception
The New York Times wrote that "the Flatlinerz use the slow-moving piano melodies and minor chords of horror-film soundtracks to drive their music, adding screeching birds and tolling church bells for spice."

In 2009, Fangoria named U.S.A. as an iconic horrorcore album.

Track listing
Sample credits
 * Track 4 contains elements from "Crossover" by EPMD and "Party Groove (Instrumental)" by Showbiz and A.G.
 * Track 5 samples the song "Seven Days, Seven Nights" by Sue Ann Carwell
 * Track 7 contains a sample from "Step in the Arena" by Gang Starr
 * Track 14 embodies portions of "Tonight's da Night" by Redman and "I'm Gonna Take Your Love" by Brother to Brother

Personnel

 * Jamel "Redrum" Simmons – main artist, vocals, sleeve notes
 * Darnell "Gravedigger" Cunningham – main artist, vocals, sleeve notes
 * Juan "Tempest" Clarke – main artist, vocals, producer, sleeve notes
 * Tadone "Kool Tee" Hill – featured artist, producer
 * Devon "Omen" Purkiss – featured artist
 * Gravemen – featured artist
 * Mayhem – featured artist
 * Dana "Rockwilder" Stinson – featured artist, producer
 * J. Leroy of the Headless Horsemen – featured artist
 * M. Gardner of the Headless Horsemen – featured artist
 * Nora T. – backing vocals
 * Anthony "Trace Bass" Brown – bass
 * Richard "Rich" Keller – bass, electric guitar, recording, mixing
 * Darryl "DR Period" Pittman – keyboards, percussion, programming, producer, arranger
 * Thomas "Crush" McQueen – producer
 * Divine Campbell – co-producer, arranger
 * Kenny Lee – executive producer
 * Russell Simmons – executive producer
 * Danny Clinch – photography
 * John Blackford – illustration
 * The Drawing Board – design