The 2000s were a great time to be a metalcore band. Acts such as Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage and August Burns Red were becoming the next big bands in metal, but as the decade came to an end, interest in the genre started to fall off. Some became successful while others faded into obscurity. And then there's Unearth. The band never really went away, but they also never took off and have been sort of lurking in the corner for the past ten years or so.
Unearth's seventh album, Extinction(s), proves just why they're in the position they're in. The album isn't bad, it's just not great. If you haven't heard new music in ten years, or you're just really into Unearth, then the record might be for you. Otherwise, it's filled with forgettable material that you could easily skip over.
There are a few tracks that stand out as really great, notably the groove-heavy "The Hunt Begins" and the thrash-leaning "Hard Lined Downfall," but beyond these few, there are just a small handful of riffs that are memorable. Other songs on the album won't make you rush to switch to the next track right away, but they become tedious very quickly.
Hardcore Unearth fans will likely find some worthwhile material on Extinction(s), but even for a fan of the band, this album is a bit of a letdown. If the band are content with releasing subpar songs just to keep their name in the public, then so be it, but if Unearth want to gain some relevance again, they'll have to do a lot better than they are right now.
(Century Media)Unearth's seventh album, Extinction(s), proves just why they're in the position they're in. The album isn't bad, it's just not great. If you haven't heard new music in ten years, or you're just really into Unearth, then the record might be for you. Otherwise, it's filled with forgettable material that you could easily skip over.
There are a few tracks that stand out as really great, notably the groove-heavy "The Hunt Begins" and the thrash-leaning "Hard Lined Downfall," but beyond these few, there are just a small handful of riffs that are memorable. Other songs on the album won't make you rush to switch to the next track right away, but they become tedious very quickly.
Hardcore Unearth fans will likely find some worthwhile material on Extinction(s), but even for a fan of the band, this album is a bit of a letdown. If the band are content with releasing subpar songs just to keep their name in the public, then so be it, but if Unearth want to gain some relevance again, they'll have to do a lot better than they are right now.