Power of Metal.dk Review

 
Unearth
Watchers of Rule
Rating
 
Style: Metalcore/Thrash Metal
Release date: 3 November, 2014
Playing time: 35:00
 


A lot of bands do about the same in the metalcore genre, mixing metalcore with thrash and of course with a lot of breakdowns. On top of that a rather boring vocalist that screams and that's it. Fortunately a band like Unearth develops and still add some changes, although not big, but just enough to make the music interesting. Vocalist Trevor Phipps uses his grunting voice instead of screaming more than on earlier albums and that is interesting.

The first songs of the album are very brutal and fast, with tight rhytmns and very tight riffing. There are a lot of tempo changes, but they sound very natural and unforced. This is a band with a lot of experience and they know how to vary without losing any grip on writing a good song. The melodic guitar pieces are beautiful and the thrash based songs and melodic Swedish death metal riffs are fused together very naturally. Both guitar players launch one nice solo and harmony after the other and Nick Pierce's drumming tightens any open spot with fabulous powerful hits. With the riffing in songs like "From the Tombs of Five Below", "Lifetime in Ruins" and "Birth of a Legion" they can easily compete with nowadays thrash metal bands and that makes this album also interesting for the general thrash metal fan.

This sixth album is heavier and more brutal than the 2 predecessors and the mix of thrash metal and metalcore with some Swedish death metal has been worked out almost to perfection.


Tracklist
01. Intro
02.
The Swarm
03.
Lifetime in Ruins
04.
Guards of Contagion
05.
From the Tombs of Five Below
06.
Never Cease
07.
Trail of Fire
08.
To the Ground
09. Burial Lines
10. Birth of a Legion
11. Watchers of Rule
Label: Century Media
Distribution: Universal (Denmark)
Reviewed by: Reinier de Vries
Date: 5 November, 2014
Website: www.facebook.com/unearthofficial