E.P. Review: Extinguish – Extinguish
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
The debut release from Sacramento-based Extinguish sees the light of day this month, almost a full year since the Hardcore five-piece recorded it. Clocking in at a smidge over sixteen minutes, this introductory half-a-dozen tracks is finely tuned to blow your socks off.
From the outset Extinguish deliver a massive statement of intent and, though it ebbs and flows throughout its all-too-short running-time, the E.P. does not once let up on its mission to deliver utter carnage with every note.
From the opening feedback and howling guitars, shaped like sirens, to the colossal drum sound and meaty bass lines, Extinguish will grab you mercilessly by the throat and refuse to let go. Final Sin is a mass of rapid-fire bass kicks and thick guitar chugs, all to the accompaniment of vitriolic spat vocals.
Unconquered, the release’s lead track, feels more measured and more controlled, with the guitar featuring more serenely. Across the E.P. are punctuating beatdowns amid grooved-up riffs. Illusion of Power has such a compulsive hook that pit attendance will be mandatory and the metallic elements of Blood Runs Cold make the track so addictive that it surely should be classed as a controlled substance.
Only Silence evokes the spirit of Hatebreed and Terror and, with a drum-sound that is so monumental as to be a geological feature, it triggers a primal urge to indulge in some good friendly violent fun. (©Exodus) The record ends with a Faith No More-style Epic piano line, but not before The Judge’s slow chug reveals itself to be hiding not only some very groovy moments, but also harbouring a grinding intensity.
It might be small but Extinguish (the E.P.) is a perfectly formed slice of Hardcore brutality and one which promises much going forward.
