Unearth – The Wretched; The Ruinous (Review)

Unearth are a metalcore band form the US and this is their eighth album.

Following on from 2018’s Extinction(s), Unearth continue to deliver the metalcore goods. Their tried-and-tested brand of melodic death metal-meets-thrash-meets-hardcore is on fine fiery form, and The Wretched; The Ruinous is a very enjoyable 37-minute slab of old-school metalcore heaviness.

If you know Unearth then you know what to expect here, and that’s no bad thing. If you don’t know Unearth, then this is a great place to get acquainted with them. Packed with punchy, well-written songs delivered by an accomplished, experienced band, The Wretched; The Ruined boasts a strong collection of tracks.

The songs are full of riffs that make you want to move, with bright melodic leads and tasty solos that are never too far away, not to mention some thunderous breakdowns. Unearth’s energy and enthusiasm is undeniable, and the music has a dynamic edge to it that’s designed to make mosh pits explode.

Different songs explore different facets of the band’s ingredients, be that that spirited melodic death metal, scathing hardcore, or jagged thrash metal. Each track has its own identity within the whole, and Unearth have clearly not lost any skill when it comes to producing metalcore anthems. Enriched with a variety of different details and ideas spread out across the album, (not to mention probably the singer’s best vocal performance overall), The Wretched; The Ruinous feels like a very complete, well-rounded work.

Catchy, heavy, and enjoyable, The Wretched; The Ruinous is simply a fun album to listen to.

Very highly recommended for fans of the classic metalcore style.