Unearth
The Stings Of Conscience (2001)
Jim
There are alot of bands doing the metalcore thing these days. Well you have those bands, then you have Unearth. It's rare that you hear the peak of a genre on a bands debut full length, but I think that's exactly what Unearth did with this CD.
The dual guitar work is intricate and just flat out jaw-dropping. This is what really defines Unearth's sound, both guitar players weaving a complex thread of melodic riffs. The vocals, surprisingly enough, are on the hardcore side of things. So instead of deep gutteral growls we get some hardcore screaming, another thing that helps to set this band apart from it's comtemporaries.
Lyrically, the band is fairly socially and politically conscious. They don't take the broad route that some bands do lyrically, they make sure they cut straight to the point. Lines like "Put down your goddamned weapons. We are slaughtering our own sons." don't leave much up to interpretation. A variety of topics are covered:war, the impending struggle for resources, not giving up, etc.
The drumming is great and somehow manages to keep pace with the frantic guitars. There are double bass rolls, but unlike a lot of bands, they are well placed and not just used for the sake of being heavy. Believe me, this band doesn't have to try to be heavy, they do it effortlessly.
I know a lot of you probably wrote this one off as soon as you read the word metalcore, but I urge you to give this a chance. Just because alot of bands are doing something doesn't mean one of them can't do it extremely well.