UNEARTH – III: In The Eyes Of Fire

Their last album was entitled The Oncoming Storm — could it be the five guys already knew what they would have in store for the fans? Because III: In The Eyes Of Fire IS the storm! Album by album, one is accustomed to bands becoming softer, more mellow, and more commercial. Unearth just defy the laws of tradition and kick ass so much that only the excellent production by Terry Date (Dream Theater, Pantera, Soundgarden, Metal Church, Overkill, and others) and the maturity of the songwriting are indications that this is not a debut album.

The first track, “This Glorious Nightmare,” already shows the direction: Heavy but melodic twin guitar leads, and the aggressive shouting by Trevor Phipps, which has improved a lot since their last output, make this a devastating Thrash attack. A typical Metalcore breakdown follows after 40 seconds, and this is a recipe they follow throughout the album. What makes them different from most other Metalcore bands is that those breakdowns really work.

“Giles” is a Melodic Metalcore song – can you imagine such a thing? The twin guitars are really Maiden-like, and the whole track would do Soilwork honor. A neckbreaker where the guitar work during the slower parts is simply awe-inspiring.

Next up is “March Of The Mutes,” which slows down the pace a bit without being unheavy, but pales a bit when “Sanctity Of Brothers” wipes away the memory and leaves the listener open-mouthed. This is Exodus somewhere between Pleasures Of The Flesh and Fabulous Disaster, and as a side note, throws in some of the most melodic riffs of the whole album. Followed by “The Devil Has Risen,” where the monotone vocals are lain over Maiden-esque riffing, the album leads into “This Time Was Mine,” which is, however subjectively, the absolute highlight of III: In The Eyes Of Fire. It does not really add anything to the mixture, but it is the perfection of the style combined with some of the fastest guitar play on the album.

This is the time where you might long for a break, but you’ll be too mesmerized by the sound to do anything but bang your head. It seems the band found the same to be true, so they slow down the pace with “Unstoppable” and insert the most melodic chorus on the album… melodic like on Slayer’s South Of Heaven album, so don’t expect any time to catch your breath! When “So It Goes” begins, it is again positively Maiden-like. This is the most mellow song on the album, and will surely be a great live track.

But, that is all the rest you are going to get. “Imposters Kingdom” hits you again where it hurts: Brutal, straight, relentless. The heaviest monster present, this one could easily stand on any release by Germany’s most uncompromising Thrashers Dew-Scented. Still, they find time for a short, melodic interlude before they waste your neck with a heavy, stomping ending. “Bled Dry” follows in the same footsteps, and it is a bit like a fusion of Slayer and old Metallica. The Metallica impression is even intensified by the final composition “Big Bear And The Hour Of Chaos,” and instrumental in the tradition of “Orion” or “Call Of Ktulu.” That track also makes you see the only little drawback the band has: Trevor Phipps, in spite of all his improvement, sounds very similar on every track.

In general, this New Wave Of American Heavy Metal, or Metalcore, or whatever you want to call it, is a style that was followed by too many mediocre bands, resulting in a detriment to the whole genre. Anyone can forget how good it can be when performed appropriately, but luckily bands like Shadows Fall and Unearth always manage to remind fans of how it can be done. Thanks, guys!