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Unearth: III-In the Eyes of Fire

Metalcore has been one of the most overexposed sub-genres in metal the last few years, and while many bands still come out of the woodwork each week, the same amount seem to be dropping off the face of the earth just as quickly. Amidst all this, Unearth, one of the most popular bands from the metalcore craze a few years ago, still remain at the top of the heap, and their new release III: In the Eyes of Fire, shows they have not lost a step since the release of their acclaimed The Oncoming Storm. While bands like Lamb of God, Shadows Fall, and Mastodon, have all gotten major label deals, Unearth have found a solid home on Metal Blade Records, and their brand of thrash metal meets hardcore is just as lethal as it ever was.

There can't be many tracks that kick off any album more raucous and sledgehammer an opener than "This Glorious Nightmare", a truly brutal thrash piece with ferocious vocal screams, plenty of intricate lead guitar breaks, and brutal riffs. Likewise on "Sanctity of Brothers", which sees Trevor Phipps screaming like there was no tomorrow, yet doing so in a somewhat catchy fashion, with Ken Susi and Buz McGrath's huge riffs and dizzying fills flying about the mix. To say that Unearth cut their teeth on 80's thrash records while honing their craft is a severe understatement, as these guys can flat out play. For the ultimate in crunchy metal, check out "This Time Was Mine", while fans of kick ass hardcore breakdowns will love "Unstoppable" with its heavy riffs and powerhouse drums. Susi and McGrath throw in some memorable Iron Maiden-inspired harmony guitar lines on the excellent and speedy thrash of "So It Goes", and the mix of bludgeoning power riffs with technical precision on "Bled Dry" is prett damn impressive.

So, is III: In the Eyes of Fire better than The Oncoming Storm? That is probably for you to decide, but they are certainly quite comparable. This latest is easily more complex, especially in terms of the guitar and drum parts, and although on initial listen one might think that the songs on the Oncoming Storm are a tad more memorable, these here really sink in after repeated spins. Regardless, Unearth continue to prove what a vital and important part of the metal scene they are. III: In the Eyes of Fire is sure to please existing fans and even bring some new ones to the fold.


Track Listing
1. This Glorious Nightmare
2. Giles
3. March of the Mutes
4. Sanctity of Brothers
5. The Devil Has Risen
6. This Time Was Mine
7. Unstoppable
8. So It Goes
9. Impostors Kingdom
10. Bled Dry
11. Big Bear and the Hour of Chaos

Added: September 12th 2006
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Unearth Website
Hits: 2998
Language: english

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Unearth: III-In the Eyes of Fire
Posted by Ken Pierce, SoT Staff Writer on 2006-09-12 09:43:56
My Score:

I had never heard the previous albums by Unearth so went into this CD without any conceptions or misconceptions about the band. I did catch their performance on the 2005 Sounds of the Underground tour, where I found them one of the more powerful bands present who definitely knew how to work on stage together and get the crowd going at the same time. Their third recording, appropriately titled III: In The Eyes Of Fire is a stand out effort for this band as while Metalcore is their genre, the band makes sure to demonstrate a wider variety of Metal skills for the listener. Metalcore is definitely not the genre for everyone but its following and the amount of bands that are doing it is staggering in number. The music is a close brother of Hardcore and Punk with similar riff structures and intensity throughout the songs. With Unearth however, there is a stronger level of musicianship being showcased and that separates them from a lot of their peers. It has the same core intensity as singer Trevor Phipps screams his lungs out on tracks such as the opener "The Glorious Nightmare" and "March Of The Mutes", yet when tunes like "Sanctity Of Brothers" begins you find yourself listening to almost a early 90's Power or Thrash Metal group. It's not so much that the band has opted to sell out on their chosen genre, it is more a demonstration of their influences and that they can play very, very well when they choose to do so. For someone like myself who is not entrenched in the genre but enjoys a few select bands, I would find Unearth of a higher level of appeal than a band that was purely the same song over and over. "So It Goes" is one of the best numbers on the album and "Imposters Kingdom" is so brutal you will as though a circle pit is going to form in your living room.

The band is made up of Phipps (vocals), Ken Susi (guitar), Mike Justian (drums), Buz McGrath (guitar) and John Maggard (bass) and all of them have made sure that this is one record that fans and newcomers will not soon forget. It's a great effort that is sure to bring a lot of people over to their side of the fence musically. Its also a good measure of how some of the other bands can become if they choose to expand upon their horizons.




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