Record Exchange Boise

Reviews:

As Killswitch Engage storm up the Billboard charts with their latest album, there's little doubt that the-sound-with-no-name made by the new breed from New England dominates the metal scene right now. Like KSE and Shadows Fall-both of whom they've shared stages with on recent tours-Massachusetts five-piece Unearth deliver that now trademark combination of American-style metalcore bite with a very European melodic sense. Strange as it may seem, the true progeny of New Wave of Swedish Death Metal legends such as In Flames and At the Gates now come from the east coast of America, not the cities of Sweden. Now signed to Metal Blade after five years of underground activism, Unearth deliver their fourth album at just the right moment to capitalize on all those support slots. Whether they'll be able to escape their former billing is another matter. This is an extraordinarily consistent, robust and professional album, but that just adds up to meat and potatoes, not to anything truly special. Sure, tracks like "Lie to Purify" and "Predetermined Sky" hit home with the force you'd expect, and there's barely a clunker here. But on the strength of The Oncoming Storm, it's unlikely that Unearth will be taking center stage in the scene any time soon.