Unearth – “Extinction(s)” [Album Review]

2018 has been a stellar year for metal releases; it seems almost every month another new recording rises to the top of my playlist, becoming a potential contender for my pick of the year. If you read any of my reviews, you will recall I’ve said that at least a few times, and here we are in November and I’m going to say it once again. Extinction(s) is a crushingly heavy offering that never lets up, and all ten songs on this disc are fantastic.

Admittedly, I am a huge Unearth fan, and have been from the beginning, but I am not being biased here when I say this might be my favourite album of their catalog to date. I liked their last release, Watchers of Rule, but, to me, Extinction(s) is on par, if not better, than their 2011 release, Darkness In The Light. The first single, “Incinerate”, was released a few months ago and, for those who have heard it, this is just a tease of what Extinction(s) has to offer. While every song on this record is top-notch metal, I really think “Cultivation of Infection” and the second single, “Survivalist”, are my favourites.

Trevor Phipps turns in a fantastic performance with his commanding voice, which, when combined with massive, face melting riffs, and brutal breakdowns, makes this a molten slab of metal. After 20 years in the business, many bands disappear or become irrelevant, but Unearth show no signs of slowing down and have once again proven they are still a force with which to be reckoned.

Try and push through the pummelling metal gauntlet that is “Survivalist”.

Extinction(s) Track Listing:

01. Incinerate
02. Dust
03. Survivalist
04. Cultivation Of Infection
05. The Hunt Begins
06. Hard Lines Downfall
07. King Of The Arctic
08. Sidewinder
09. No Reprisal
10. One With The Sun

Run Time: 38:00
Release Date: November 23, 2018
Record Label: Century Media