Review
Extinction A.D.
Plague Prophecy

A storm has ostensibly been brewing in Long Island, New York beneath the surface of the hardcore outfit This Is Hell. For those in the know, This Is Hell has been an East Coast staple for the better part of the millennium. Interestingly, the band had been bearing the teeth of metal and thrash in their later records, moving off of their traditional hardcore roots. In 2013, This Is Hell dropped a three song EP titled, The Enforcer, which came out blaring dual harmony guitars combined with chainsaw palm muting and uncompromising thrashy bliss. This Is Hell had a track record of dropping a solid EP shortly before unleashing a brooding full-length, and fans like me expected the same – but a year went by and nothing came.

With the ground still rumbling in the wake of The Enforcer, members of This Is Hell emerged with even heavier riffs with faster shredding and left their singer somewhere in the dust. They called this leaner four-piece beast Extinction A.D., and they hit the scene screaming.

Extinction A.D. released the four track EP, Plague Prophecy on Good Fight Records in August, 2014 and, quite simply, it is wonderful. Picture Testament with more harmony mixed with Pantera with faster, more intricate riffs. Singer/guitarist Rick Jimenez belts his guts out in a wide range of mid-range screams to clean and mean, unbothersome pitch-perfect vocals.

With no exaggeration, Plague Prophecy rips, albeit only four songs in length. Extinction A.D. struck the balance between song writing complexities and “smash you in the mouth” thrash. “Mummified”, for example, requires multiple listens just to identify multiple nuances within the guitar solo alone. A good friend of mine said it best, “I love this shit. It’s like I get eight guitar solos for the price of one.”

This record is packed front to back with palm muting, cymbal catching debauchery. Fans of Slayer, The Haunted, Testament or Pantera should buy Plague Prophecy immediately.