Customer Reviews

Oncoming Storm

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I will start out by saying I was a fan of Unearth before this CD came out. TSOC was a personal fave, so I was reallly looking forward to this. When it was released, I immediately got my hands on it, and was MORE than happy with the results. This is not a generic hardcore album, or a lame cheesy metal album like several bands have put out. It is a fusion of the best of metal, and the best of hardcore, which creates a sound few other bands are able to acheive.

Ken and Buz are quite possibly the best 7-stringers playing out there today. Listen to Zombie Autopilot...these guys thrash the hell out of the 7-strings in ways that most guitar players would never imagine. The cool thing is each song has its own flavor. This Lying World has a really offbeat kind of intro that works amazingly well. Great Dividers definetely is the big sing-along type song that really gets you going right away. Perhaps my favorite track, Endless, brings the best of everything all together.

Without rambling for too long, this is a great band...period. Fans of newer hardcore bands will be amazed that a band that uses this kind of style is this talented, and even old-school metalheads will probably raise their horns and salute. These guys are for real.

I think this is one of the few bands that has yet to receive the recognition they deserve. Their first debut album, The Stings of Conscious was a superb first effort. Years have passed since that album met with a record label change from Eulogy to Metal Blade as well as a new drummer Mike Justain (the Red Chord). Whether you are familiar with that band or not, this guy is a pro and adds a whole new dynamic to the band. The guitar work is tight and very well done, improving even on the high standards set by TSOC. The riffs are original and melodies are excellently intertwined amongst the breakdowns. And the breakdowns are SICK - at least 2 or 3 per song and they are all unique and rhythmically tight. Just download "This Lying World" to hear what I am talking about. The vocals are also an improvement over TSOC. Trevor's lyrics have always been good but on this album they are less abstract here. Unlike a lot bands today, particularly ones in this genre, they actually sing about issues of relevance and importance, about the state of this world and where we are headed if we continue these destructive trends. No dragons or crying over ex girlfriends here. The lyrics are pissed off as all hell and it does nothing but compliment the scope of this bands' art. As far as the new record label goes, the production quality on this cd is ages ahead of what is heard on TSOC. I consider myself to be pretty picky when it comes to audio production but they got this right on. I'm making no understatement when I say the production on this cd is damn near PERFECT for this band's sound. My only complaint would be the clichéd "soft" track titled "Aries." I mean, it's good...it just seems rather out of place, same with the acoustic ending of "Black Hearts Now Reign." This band is about brutal metalcore and this record exemplifies it by pounding you into submission. This is definitely one of the best releases this year. If you have any respect for yourself and loud music, you owe it to yourself to pick up this album.

p.s.
An open letter to heidi kakes,

Justain's talent on this album shines through just as much if not stronger than in Fused Together. Also, there aren't 10 breakdowns per song. You just couldn't handle the couple that are there.

p.p.s. using the "open letter format" in reviews is lame. If people did that in the 80's, it wasn't cool then and it isn't cool now.

Thanks,
R.V.

This is one of the best releases in the genre. These guys do it as good or better than anyone else in the metal world right now. You have great songwriting, and thats what sets them apart from most of the crowd.

There is definitely a trend here. No one can deny that if you have a Killswitch album album you're likely to dig unearth. The list goes on and on, but whats wrong with that as long as there is some origninality in the song writing. As long as I don't think I'm hearing a specific metallica riff, or lyrics almost exactly like pantera I'm alright. And I coudn't pin down any particular song with these guys.

So if you're not jaded on metal core hardcore whatever other label people come up with, then check this album out because its a legitimate part of good heavy metal

There is a lot to like in this album, and a lot to hope for in the future. Each song features several mosh elements, and transitions that keep the songs' flow alive and interesting. However, the changes come so frequently and unexpectedly that there's very little to hold onto, minute to minute. Once Unearth finds a hook, they seem rather eager to let it go. So, ultimately, the complaints about songs running into one another have validity - more critically, there aren't really "songs" on this album - like I said, TOS is more an agglomeration of "mosh movements".

TOS live should be a blast - this album seems more geared towards that, rather than to be enjoyed with friends, in the car, screaming along to, or as part of your singles collection. Though I guarantee you won't be bored listening... that's the benefit of music that's always changing. Mudvayne had this "problem" previously - they seem to have survived and thrived in spite. These equally-talented boys will doubtless do the same.

this is the second really good metal band I have reviewed today, the other one being All That Remains. After listening to this album I can say that this is no-frills in-your-face metal, and it fu*king rocks! Perfect for when you get tired of emo charged nu-meal ticket rock and the bad musicianship that goes with it. And the lyrics probably make the little emo kids pi** in their pants. We need more bands like this to squash out all of the radio metal music being played everywhere!

I am a metal fan, and one that steers clear of most metalcore Killswitch, As I Lay Dying, and things of that sort. In fact all of it. Through one of my friends I had heard these guys were a joke, and that they sucked. He said they were just another lame metalcore wannabe metal Atreyu act. We saw the video for "Endless: on The Ball the other night, and it just proves never believe what you hear. This is top of the line thrash metal. Right up there with Trivium, Shadows Fall, Children of Bodom and Nevermore. The vocals are kind of your standard yell, except he sounds so differant from almost everyone else. The 7-Strings are nice, especially since they arent beat to death like most bands that use them(Korn). People need to understand the low B string is there for more techinical playing, not for idiots to tune down to an A and just punch it(Korn, Again). The drumming is very solid, as is the bass player. They could do without some of the clean vocals, because I prefer it either one way or another, except in the case of Trivium, because when he goes clean he sounds like Hetfield. Playing on Ozzfest is a plus(usually), because it gives you exposure to the posers who go to see Mudvayne. Look what it did for SF(Can you say, Grammy Nomination?). Sooner or later, the bands that deserve exposure like Unearth, SF, COB, Darkest Hour, Trivum, and Nevermore will get it.

Keep metal alive.

This CD has by far some of the best breakdowns I have ever heard. No Favorites on this CD because they all are equally amazing. Definately add this to your collection!

I don't know the all the terminology (hardcore/metalcore/deathmetal/blah blah blah) but this cd simply kicks ass. This band is very talented, and I can't wait for more music to come from them.
I don't know what these guys are talking about sounding like shadows fall, or Kill Switch. They are very different from those bands. I don't like either of those bands, and I love this cd.
The vocals are awesome, the guitars are awesome, and the band itself is very talented. Its not this straight up one riff death metal nonsense you can't understand. If you like fast paced music, with awesome guitar riffs/breakdowns, and raging vocals you will love this stuff!!!!

UNEARTH - The Oncoming Storm
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Honestly this album is nothing new BUT, it kicks serious ass. This is one of my favorite Albums of 2004. This is "the" Metalcore album. Musicianship on this CD is incredible. The 7-String Guitar work is some of finest... The Bass is well done, the Drum work is great, and the Vocals are perfect for this style of music. As stated before this album really isn't anything "New" but there is Talent, Creative song writing, And some great songs... It may not quite be Dillinger's - Miss Machine or Mastodon's - Leviathan but it stands tall amongst many other albums in 2004. Also in a scene over credited to Killswitch Engage I'd gladly hand the Metalcore throne of 2004 to Unearth's - Oncoming Storm.
Favorite Songs: Failure, Black Hearts Now Reign, Endless
4.25 - STARS


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This the only album i have so i don't know there true potential. This album is like a mix of killswich engage, as i lay dying, and shadows fall. But these guy have a slower side to them also. No singing, but still awsome. Whatever they try to play there good at it.The best songs are...

The Heavier Great songs:

The Great Dividers
This Lying World
Bloodlust of the Human Condition

The little slower songs:
Failure
Endless
Aries
Zombie Autopilot

And the in between:
Predetermined Sky
Zombie Autopilot

By the way in really almost 14. i just didn't want to do the bs.