Disco de Unearth: “The March”

Before I discuss The March, lets discuss In The Eyes of Fire first. In the Eyes of Fire was a boring cd that sacrificed everything that made them good in order to become more heavy. What ended up as the result was a long boring album that was slow in too many places, ditched melody for heaviness, and had way too many breakdowns. Many feared that The March would end up just like In The Eyes of Fire, and well, today is judgement day for Unearth.

Did Unearth redeem themselves with The March? Will The March bring all of their old fans back from the days of The Oncoming Storm?

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As you probably guessed, YES!!! YES!!! As soon as you hit play, you will be greeted by a scorching guitar solo that will instantly destroy any doubts or things you held against this band after listening to III. Trevor has returned to his old style of vocals from their second album The Oncoming Storm, which is a good thing in my opinion because there is far more conviction in his delivery on this record. Their new drummer Derek Kerswill is decent but their return to their former sound makes up for any of the flaws in Derek's playing.

1. MY WILL BE DONE sets the mood for the entire album because it not only displays their amazingly catchy harmonies (think the riff in the intro to Zombie Autopilot), but it marks the returns of Unearth's wicked guitar solos and their original sound which is something all of us Unearth fans have been waiting years for.

2. HAIL THE SHRINE is another great song with a brutal guitar riff during the verses, a really catchy chorus, and ends in a killer breakdown. The lyrics are really good as well, during the chorus, Trevor declares "Believe my every word/Believe and I will protect you/So criticize/Bow down you might meet your maker." This is easily one of the best songs off of this album simply because the lyrics work so well with the guitars.

3. CROW KILLER is another song that features an incredibly catchy and technical riff that lasts through the entire song. The only problem with the main riff is that it makes the solo look lackluster because it is so complex.

4. GRAVE OF OPPORTUNITY begins with a slow melodic introduction, then immediately kicks off to a really fast riff. The bridge consists of clean guitar backed up by a distorted guitar, and leads into a short solo which goes right back into the incredible main riff. An amazing song which will be even better live in the pits.

5. WE ARE NOT ANONYMOUS leads off with an insanely complex lead on the guitars before leading into a Gothenburg-esque melody which starts and stops throughout the song. The song constantly becomes more complex as it moves on, giving it a fresh feel and never lets the riff get old or boring. The solo after the breakdown is really good and leads back into the complex lead established in the beginning of the song. Yet another great song, I would not be surprised if this was put into Rock Band or something---it is that catchy and technical.

6. THE MARCH has a dark feel to it set by the the bass and the guitars and slow-paced drumming. While it does not come off as a good song on the first listen, it will grow on you as you listen to the album a couple more times. Good song.

7. CUTMAN is easily the best song on this entire album. It opens with a STUNNING lead, which builds up into a very fast and heavy riff backed up by Derek on the kit. This will most definitely be a crowd pleaser at future Unearth shows, the main riff SCREAMS circle pits to me. Trevor's voice just plain sells this song to you the second it begins. This is easily up there as one of their best songs to date, although it does not match This Lying World or Black Hearts Now Reign.

8. THE CHOSEN stands out as one of the most unique songs Unearth has written to date. It's heavy, but it sounds more anthemic than their other songs on this album let alone their entire catalog of music. The song is perfect to listen to before a game to get fired up.

9. LETTING GO is a display of both Unearth's melodic side and their heavy side. While it is a huge change in pace from the other songs on this cd because it is the slowest song on the album, it is much reminiscent of The Oncoming Storm in the sense that it fits perfectly in between THE CHOSEN and TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE on the album just how ARIES did between ENDLESS and PREDETERMINED SKY.

10. TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE closes the album on a dark note. It begins with a soaring melody in the beginning, and goes into a riff that sounds ominous. The melody of the song fades out and ends the record.

BEST SONGS: Cutman, Hail the Shrine, We Are Not Anonymous, My Will Be Done, The Chosen, Grave of Opportunity, The March

Unearth has redeemed itself in my book with The March, I think it even surpasses The Oncoming Storm because it is produced and written so well. The skill of all of the musicians in this band is simply undeniable. Their catchy melodies, scorching guitar riffs, and aggressiveness keep the music fresh and interesting. While some listeners may think that Trevor's voice is bad(I personally don't), the band just simply wouldn't sound good without him. He shows an exceptional amount of passion and delivery in his voice, which I haven't seen in many other bands.

The March may alienate people who got turned onto Unearth by In The Eyes of Fire simply because it sounds less heavy guitar-wise and utilizes more melodies than any of the songs on III did. It may also come off as just another Unearth album at first, but I can guarantee you it will grow on you after a couple of listens if you let it.

This is easily the best metal album of 2008 (yes this may be subjective to some, but I loved this far more than the new albums by All Shall Perish and The Haunted), and I highly recommend buying this. I also recommend seeing this band live because the music sounds far better and they put on an incredibly good show.

EDIT: Didn't realize the bonus track was on most American copies of this album as well. The copy I have somehow does not have the hidden track on it. My bad. It's still really good though, highly recommend it.

First off let me say that In The Eyes Of Fire is to date, Unearth's finest hour. That album kicked you in the teeth from start to finish and every song had an amazing hook at some point in it. It was a little more metal than The Oncoming Storm and the guitars cut through me like a buzzsaw. I don't really like reviewing albums until I have fully digested them and although The March hasn't left my CD player since last Tuesday, I still don't think I have let the songs grow on me enough. This album is definitely more hardcore. The riffs and breakdowns all have that east coast hardcore feel. So far the songs that have really jumped out at me are Grave of Opportunity and both parts of the untitled track. Maybe I will come back and write another review after letting the album sink in but for right now I will say that it rocks but isn't quite as good as In The Eyes Of Fire, but I don't know if Unearth will ever be able to top that masterpiece.

Chock full of creative riffing and infused with power, The March commands your attention from the very start. I have two other Unearth albums in addition to this one and like them all, but if I had to choose a favorite I would say, for me, there is a tie between The March and The Oncoming Storm. Both are worthy titles if you are into Metalcore.

Next, the album art gives the impression of one fighting to break free. It fits well with the music as you will see if you are following along with the included lyrics while you listen.

Lastly, if you loved The Oncoming Storm but didn't like III- In The Eyes Of Fire, I would say give The March a chance. They do a really good job on this album, from front to back. You won't want to skip any songs, which is a really good quality for an album to have. It is clear that Unearth have a firm grasp of what it takes to rule the genre. If you like Trevor Phipps' style of singing, and you like your music heavy, you must own The March.

I remember watching Unearth play in New Haven, CT last October. Before going onstage, Buz warmed up to Yngwie Malmsteen's "Far Beyond the Sun". I wouldn't ever expect an Unearth CD to be an over-the-top shred fest, but one has to wonder why he was holding back on CD's when he can shred like this. Prior to the release of "The March", solos were scarce. The only ones I can recall were the solos on "Zombie Autopilot" and "So It Goes". (Off of "The Oncoming Storm", and "III:In the Eyes of Fire", respectively) Those two are great solos. The good news is that there are a substantial amount of solos on "The March".

As far as the sound goes, the other reviewers are correct; Unearth sounds like Unearth at this point. What they have done, however, is tweak their sound. As I mentioned before, this album is more lead guitar oriented than their previous three. The solos on "The Chosen", "We Are Not Anonymous", and "My Will Be Done" are nothing short of amazing. The standout song would have to be "The Chosen", due to its anthemic nature. It is different from anything Unearth have done before. "The March" sounds fresh, but it is still definitely Unearth. It is highly melodic, there are still some breakdowns, and Trevor Phipps still has that throaty yell.

Ultimately, this sounds like Unearth with a few twists here and there. It makes it interesting enough to warrant repeat listens. Unearth are one of my favorite metalcore bands. They are metalcore done right. Check this CD out.

I the phrase I usually use to describe Unearth is "The only metalcore band to give a **** about." I for the most part avoid metalcore because it falls into one of two categories, stuff that is too simplistic and I find boring (Hatebreed), or those groups who have melodic singing in the chorus that sounds completely out of place (Killswitch Engage, All That Remains). Thankfully Unearth avoids both those problems.

There is a more melodic/thrash influence with this release, the comparison off the top with be tracks like "Zombie Autopilot" off The Oncoming Storm, being the main type of sound. However nothing of what makes me love Unearth is gone. The guitars are insanely talented and will get stuck in my head so much swear they must be tattooed in my skull. Another big strength is the lyrics which are about the evils and hopes of society, nice to have something with some hope, rather than the majority of metal bands with more nihilistic world views.

I've read so many reviews of this band that seem to love to crap on Trevor Phipps vocals. I personally really enjoy his vocal work, because it has a "punk" like sound to it, which works for the metalcore scene, and doesn't sound out of place with their thrash sound. It's a nice change of pace from all the cookie monster vocals, and guys who try to sound tough, but sound like they have to take a crap.

The March is bar none Unearth's most accessible album. Note that I say "accessible" not "commercialistic." This is pretty much an album chock full of addictive songs, with lyrics that beg to be shouted along with. It was most definitely made for touring; I saw Unearth open for Testament a few months back, and the songs off The March (anthems like "We Are Not Anonymous" and "The Chosen) definitely got people shouting with the band.

My only minor nitpick is that the unlisted 11th track, "Silence Caught the Stubborn Tongue" stops and then there's white noise, till the other track "Our Callous Skin" starts. Why these couldn't be two separate tracks, instead of me having to fast forward. I don't know. A minor annoyance on a great album.

The March is the Unearth album to pass to your friend who's never heard of Unearth. Everything about it is addictive, the lyrics the vocals, and the guitars are fantastic, giving further proof to my theory that Unearth is the only metalcore band worth giving a **** about.