Unearth -- 'The Oncoming Storm' [classic review]

Unearth
"The Oncoming Storm"
(Metal Blade Records)


"It was the first time we ever really pre-produced before a record. We've never really had the chance to pick and choose what we liked before we recorded anything so it made the record turn out better. The album sounds a whole lot better because we had more money to do it. Anybody could really make a better album with more money to work with, but Adam gave us a great price on it and worked really hard to make it sound like it does. Everyone always asks "What's it like to work with Adam D.?" and honestly, it's great, he's one of my best friends and it was really cool. The thing is, we went and did all of the dirty work and everything, and Adam just made it sound like the greatest thing we could do. Everything turned out really cool."

-- Unearth guitarist Ken Susi on recording "The Oncoming Storm"

While Unearth's sound can comes across as epic and expansive, it's really pretty simple in terms of the song construction. Rather than crafting complicated structures and patterns (think Tool or, for a more metal feel, something like Meshuggah), the band opts to go for the throat quick. That's not to say the sound is simple, rather the manner in which the band makes its music. There's the solid riffs, the twin-guitar attacks, the machine-gun drumming and crushing groove of the bass. The band likes it's hardcore breakdowns and serves up plenty. Along the way, Trevor Phipps attacks the vocals with a callous abandon, but keeps from going too far over the "guttural" edge with his screams. Sure, he might not offer up the melodic breaks like Killswitch's Howard Jones, but there's always that subtle hint of melody just under the surface.

When Unearth serves up epic, it does so in style. Songs like "Zombie Autopilot" and "Bloodlust of the Human Condition" just tumble over and over again, expanding with each passing second. The band isn't shy with the anthemic riffs either. "Predetermined Sky" opens up a metallic surge of energy and, as an aside, the song almost perfectly encapsulates the band's dual personalities as it unfolds as a metal goliath but stumbles to a hardcore dirge by the close. In fact, the band pulls off the same feat on "Lie to Purify."

Along the way other elements of the genre are thrown in for good measure, whether it be some European flavor ("Failure"), speed metal ("False Idols") or something more American and completely destructive ("This Lying World").

Unlike other albums that instantly pulled me into a web, "The Oncoming Storm" doesn't unfold as a masterpiece, it simply is one. You can jump in at any point throughout the record and be hooked. And the group doesn't build from one song to the next, it simply offers up a barrage at any given moment. Even the piano interlude "Aries" has some sort of unique charm that manages to instantly intrigue.

While Unearth has undoubtedly paid its dues, the band still seemed to explode onto the metal scene out of nowhere. The group created a template that has been stolen and emulated time and time again, which is impressive given the group's relatively young age in the genre. Unearth has carved out a nice little niche for itself on the North American metal community and seems eager and willing to offer up more. I'm not sure how much influence going out on tours with bands that incorporate more melody into the metal proceedings could have affected the way the group chose to tackle it's next album. While it seems the band has a great work ethic and solid chops to back up any claims of greatness, one has to wonder how much Adam D's production added to what became "The Oncoming Storm." If he's on board will a follow-up simply be "Storm 2?" And if not, will someone else still be able to steer the band to another classic?