Beyond Extinction
Nothing More Wretched (Anniversary Edition) – Dead Species Records
Beyond Extinction celebrate the first anniversary of their sophomore EP, Nothing More Wretched, by reissuing it as a deluxe edition, and with two extra tracks to boot. A good introduction should really set the scene for a record, and that’s precisely what ‘Warmth Of The Empty Light’ does. Employing tonality to great effect, it’s a darkly ambient piece of music that sets an ominous and one that will echo throughout, it also means that when ‘The Subjugator’ kicks in, it’s with the force of a ten-ton hammer. Imagine being locked in a room with the most depraved serial killer, and you’d have something approaching the oppressive, claustrophobic nature of this cut (and, indeed, the whole EP). Those who like their deathcore infused with the classic Swedish death metal crunch and garnished with viscous beatdown need look no further because Beyond Extinction dish out the hard stuff. Even when they take their foot off the accelerator to deliver the crushing ‘Gravedigger’ there’s no let up in heaviness, nor their take-no-prisoners ethos. The two extra songs don’t detract from the original EP at all, but feel like a natural progression, and when Harbinger growler Dilan Alves adds his talents to ‘Reverse Life Support’, well, there’s Nothing More Wretched.
Review by Peter Dennis