Unearth Oncoming Storm CD

New Version Now Has 2 New Tracks.

Unearth: Trevor Phipps (vocals); Ken Susi, Buz McGrath (guitar); John "Slo" Maggard (bass guitar); Mike Justian (drums).
If Unearth wanted to cover a classic Dean Martin hit, the logical choice would be 1960's "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" -- not because The Oncoming Storm sounds anything at all like the late Rat Pack crooner, but because Unearth does, in fact, feel like a kick in the head. Mercy is not a high priority on this 2004 release, which demonstrates just how nasty, punishing, and downright vicious the metalcore style can be. Some of Unearth's riffing hints at thrash metal, but The Oncoming Storm is a metalcore disc first and foremost -- and most of the bands that were part of thrash in the '80s and early '90s (Metallica, Megadeth, Exodus, Anthrax, among others) were not as harsh as Unearth. From Trevor Phipps' screaming vocals to the band's suffocating use of density, tracks like "Black Hearts Now Reign," "Lie to Purify," and "Failure" pack a brutal punch. Those who don't comprehend metalcore (which is definitely an acquired taste) might wonder why a disc that merits words like harsh, nasty, vicious, and punishing would appeal to anyone -- what do Unearth's fans get out of such an album? Why would they appreciate and enjoy something that's so unmusical? And the answer is that for Unearth and other metalcore units, The Oncoming Storm is all about the thrill of pure, raw exhilaration as well as emotional catharsis; Phipps' nonstop screaming is very cathartic for Unearth and their fans in the mosh pit. The Oncoming Storm falls short of remarkable, but it's a noteworthy, generally decent demonstration of metalcore's harshly exhilarating powers. ~ Alex Henderson
Formed in 1998 in Massachusetts, the five-piece metalcore outfit Unearth have earned their success the traditional way, with constant touring and gradual honing of instrumental and recording skills. Their third album, THE ONCOMING STORM, is an ecstatic mix of instrumental smarts, searing vocals, and shredding guitar, combined with breakneck tempo changes and punishing volume. The twin-guitar attack of "Endless" conjures the ghosts of ancient rock warriors Black Sabbath, though Unearth's 21st Century scorched-earth approach to metal makes the wild men of yesteryear seem quaint. And Trevor Phipps's opening scream on "Black Hearts Now Reign" (which, uniquely for this brand of high-octane metal, also features backing vocals) seems designed to both wake the dead and scare the pants off the living. With an album as powerful as THE ONCOMING STORM under its collective belt, Unearth is well on the way to seizing a dominant position in US metalcore.

Rolling Stone (p.120) - 3 stars out of 5 - "'This Lying World' opens with a galvanizing call-and-response session between guitar and bass that gives way to torrid, speedy runs."
CMJ (p.19) - "[With] skull-stomping mosh, melodic vocals and more memorable strong structures....Unearth has made the first complete album of its young career."