"What exactly is it that makes something heavy? I often wonder this when I listen to this album, because for some reason, not much else makes me want to to rip "stuff" up like this album. This album is filled with Gothenburg style guitar parts, rolling double bass, and harsh vocals, with extremely brutal breakdowns and fast, energetic hardcore chunks. The guitar parts heavy, technical and melodic, the drummer puts the double bass to good use, the vocals are fierce, and the lyrics are good and have a positive message.Let's keep this simple, this beats all other metalcore albums, no contest."
Melodic Death for Hardcore Fans. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
TheBlackMonk | 02/22/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If your actually reading this review your curious as to whether you should buy this cd or not. You came this far, now just make the purchase. Trust me, this is one of those rare cds that is flat out essential and years from now will be looked at as a landmark album. Musically this album is much closer to Melodic/Prog Death Metal than thrash it up Hardcore. The best comparision would probably be a much heavier and complex version of In Flames. In fact Melodic Death metal has never been this heavy, and Hardcore has never been this melodic. Sadly the band uses typical hardcore vocals, if it bothers you, just pay no attention and focus on the great musicianship. The title track alone, is a jawdropping collection of beatuiful gutiar melodies and riffs, and is well worth the price of admission. It is by far the best track on the album. But there isn't a weak track on the album either, which runs incredably smooth. This album is about as close to perfect as your gonna get. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to not only fans of hardcore but fans of melodic death metal as well. This album is an awesome find, you won't regret purchasing."
Some of the best melodic hardcore out there.
Matt M. | NH | 10/20/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I come from northeastern MA, and watched these guys grow from an decent hardcore band to what they are now, a new type of hardcore band that incorporates In Flames like melodies into heavy breakdowns. The first time I heard this album I knew it was one of my favorites. The only thing that comes close to this album is Undying's "Whispered Lies of Angels.""
Amazing Debut From Unearth
echelondecline | 06/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is jawbreaking, jaw-dropping, jaw-crushing, you name it. From the moment I first the album's first track, I felt like my headphones just sandwiched my skull in. This is what I love about Unearth, the ferocity of hardcore with the technicality of metalcore. While I personally would have preferred screaming vocals that weren't "typical sounding", it's still a pretty solid album. As you might have heard, you should believe it, this album has some awesome breakdowns. Some of the best you'll hear in a LONG while. This band's second effort "The Oncoming Storm" is really good...it's also starting to go down that boring sea of metalcore rubbish but they still stand out among the rest."
Coming from a Metal fan...
Sean Jordan | West Nyack, NY United States | 05/21/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm not a fan of hardcore by any means, but this album kicks [butt]. I'm into stuff like Death, Bodom, Opeth, In Flames(old) and Zyklon. The fact that I practically like no other hardcore but think this album is killer shows that these guys are some talented and creative guys pushing the limits of Hardcore."