Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Unearth - The Oncoming Storm - Metal Blade - 2004 Reviewed by: Nailer

Track Listing1. The Great Dividers 2. Failure 3. This Lying World 4. Black Hearts Now Reign 5. Zombie Autopilot 6. Bloodlust Of The Human Condition 7. Lie To Purify 8. Endless 9. Aries 10. Predetermined Sky 11. False Idols

Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God, and God Forbid are leading the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal charge with its melding of melodic death/thrash and hardcore mixed with clean vocals. It's the trend to be in right now and Unearth is right there in the mix with a solid release "The Oncoming Storm" which was produced by Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage fame and the follow-up to 2001's "The Stings Of Conscience".

These guys are a bit different than the current crop, though, with a sound that has less melodic tendencies and a blistering metal attack that is closer to the early thrash guys. The main differences is the slightly-slurred, yelled vocals and a lack of any real catchy choruses like Anthrax has. Aside from the slow piano piece which I suspect is there just to show what they can do, "The Oncoming Storm" is an all-out frontal assault with hyper-fast guitar and some super-tight snare work. Unearth still has that great, slightly out-of-control sound and Where some bands just lock-n-load, they storm the gates with machine guns ablaze.

Killer Track: Black Hearts Now Reign


--Nailer 10.15.04