The Metal Thread Genre • Page 85

In their "webisode" Youtube series for this new album, Mike the guitarist kinda touched on this, how for their last album they kinda had too many cooks in the kitchen, dictating different things, which you can def hear in the selection of songs on it. You can def tell Sumerian wanted more radio play for these guys, as evidenced by the cleaner singing and softer parts. For a band quite far into their careers, it probably wasn't a bad move per se, to maybe widen their base of listeners, but for their core fans, it strayed pretty far from their core sound. "Godless Prophets" is quite the emphatic return to what their fans truly know them for.

Part 1 of 7 for their webisode series

 

With Unearth, I think that's partly down to them deciding to do the album (Watchers of Rule) in a more "death metal" style, that kind of narrowed the amount of fans who would gravitate/like to listen to it. It was an intentional move on their part, I remember reading, as the previous album had a much more metalcore feel to it, with songs have much more melody. Ken Susi was on Jamie Jasta's podcast last year, and on it they discussed their career and what they did for Watchers of Rule, and Jasta basically said that for their next album, they neeed a killer song, a killer hit that when the first riffs of it are played at a show, people go nuts. For their career, for it to be taken to the next level, they need to create/release one song that really gets their name out there, that people can hear and go "Oh yeah, that's Unearth!" I feel like it's something their capable of doing, so I'm quite excited to see what direction they go next.

 

The Oncoming Storm was a pretty big record for them.

 

Are any Sumerian bands on the radio aside from Asking Alexandria? FM Radio doesn't play anything with screaming nowadays so I'm not sure if DH had anything to gain by going in that direction. I think they lost some steam after Kris left the band. I like the three albums they made after that but I feel like they started doing smaller tours & their popularity kind of stagnated.

I don't know what kind of push Sumerian has but I feel like fans of that label are already pretty familiar with Darkest Hour.

 

That song was Zombie Autopilot, but they need another something to bring them back to that.

 

My Will Be Done got some traction and I think it's a great song but yeah, all of their more noteworthy stuff is on their first two albums.

 

Well, looks like I'll be listening to The Oncoming Storm today, thanks guys

 

I'd go as far as to say Unearth's popularity peaked with The Oncoming Storm. In The Eyes of Fire was a killer follow-up, but didn't get the same traction. Everything else since then has been a solid release, but not memorable in comparison to those two.

Edit: A typo.

 

Totally agree^^, honestly forgot the band existed until you guys posted about it today lol

 

i'm not sure if i like this band anymore but

 

I think In The Eyes of Fire is a better album than The Oncoming Storm, but it didn't have a big, recognizable song like Zombie Autopilot or Endless. Kind of a bummer but oh well.

 

Yeah. I'm not too big on this song. Hopefully the reset will be better.

 

I thought Giles was the big, recognizable song from In The Eyes of Fire, but that's just me.

 

I really loved The Sting of Conscience too.

 

That album is so good. Good ol' Eulogy Records!

I really thought Darkness in the Light was by far one of their most in your face, brutal, destroy everything albums.

 

They've got a solid discography, for sure. Probably gonna revisit their stuff now.

 

They're probably one of the most underrated bands from that whole period.

 

They were overshadowed by some of the other area acts like Killswitch Engage, All that Remains and Shadows Fall. It's crazy to think they were all from the Massachusetts area.

 

On the topic of bands that have never gotten the recognition they deserve in that genre: War of Ages.

 

Pride of the Wicked was such a tight album!

 

ABSOLUTELY. They're always the first band to play at shows I've gone to, and there's like me and one other dude that I see every time that know what's up.

 

Has anyone else heard the new Pyogenesis album? It's really good. This and and the last one were nice, and for me this new one came out of nowhere. I didn't even know they were making a new one.

 

Well. It's better than the new Suicide Silence. I can confidently say that.

 

oof I need a palette cleanser after that. So here's some Ringworm.

 

Random things I've been listening to recently:

Chepang - Lathi Charge EP (NYC by way of Nepal grindcore. They style themselves as immgrindcore. A lovely pormanteau if I've ever seen one)

Captain Cleanoff - Rising Terror (Aussie grindcore. Probably my favorite new discovery of the year so far)

Cemetery Piss - Order of the Vulture (Black metal from DC)

Friendship - I & II (Sludge/grind/powerviolence hybrid from Japan. Somehow the name fits. I don't know how)