Review by Rick Eaglestone for MPM
Essex’s Beyond Extinction have taken the scenic route to their debut full-length. Three years in the making, plagued by lineup changes and the kind of setbacks that would crush lesser mortals, “Where They Gather” arrives not as a product of haste, but as a testament to perseverance through the grinding machinery of existence itself.
From the moment you drop the needle on this beast—and yes, this deserves to be experienced on vinyl if you can get your hands on it—you are confronted with something that feels distinctly uncomfortable. This is not the sanitized brutality of modern death metal production; this is something rawer, more organic in its malevolence. The opening track crashes through your speakers with the subtlety of a wrecking ball through a Victorian conservatory, immediately establishing the band’s intent to drag you into their nihilistic worldview whether you are prepared for the journey or not.
Vocalist Jasper Harmer has crafted something genuinely unsettling here. The approach to lyrical content strips away any pretence of fantasy or escapism that often permeates the death metal genre. Instead, we’re presented with observations of a world that, This is not teenage rebellion or manufactured darkness but the voice of someone who has stared into the abyss long enough for it to stare back, blink first, and then offer to buy the first round. Harmer’s vocal delivery shifts between the surgically precise and the utterly unhinged, often within the same breath. There is a genuine sense of desperation lurking beneath the technical proficiency, the kind of emotional rawness that can’t be taught in vocal coaching sessions or mimicked through studio trickery.
The title track, which also serves as the album’s first proper statement of intent, builds its foundation on what can only be described as groove-heavy demolition. The riffs don’t just hit hard—they linger, they fester, they burrow under your skin and set up permanent residence. There is a weight to the guitar tone that speaks to countless hours.
“Apache,” featuring guest vocals from Josh Davies of Ingested, stands as perhaps the album’s most challenging piece. Inspired by the horrors of the Iraq War—specifically the July 12th Baghdad airstrike and the Abu Ghraib torture scandal—it is the kind of song that makes you question your relationship with the music you consume. This isn’t violence as entertainment or shock value as marketing strategy; this is genuine horror at the capacity for human cruelty, channelled through some of the most punishing riffs you will hear this year.
Vocalist and lyricist Jasper Harmer talks about the process of bringing the world of the album to life:
“‘Where They Gather’ is the amalgamation of all the ills of our cities and urban living projected onto a bleak and damning story of the final city on earth. Each song tells a story woven between my own thoughts and a deep and detailed lore surrounding the city, from oppressive concrete structures to fanatical maniacs in the streets. Long journeys at late night through the London metropolis helped fuel much of this imagery in my creative process. My mind was open to interesting yet horrible things throughout this work, both in my personal life and in my surroundings. I wrote the story of this place to be a home for things that grew from my own observations of just how rancid life can get. In some ways it is a grim and depressing prediction of our civilization’s destination. Truly, this city is the place where all my hate and repulsion has come to live.”
The album’s exploration of “cultural, ethnic and international hatred and destruction” through “Apache” could have easily descended into heavy-handed political posturing or surface-level commentary. Instead, Beyond Extinction approach these themes with the gravity they deserve. The music doesn’t celebrate or glorify—it grieves, it rages, it questions. When extreme music tackles extreme subject matter, the results can often feel exploitative or tone-deaf. Here, there is a genuine sense of moral responsibility, a band grappling with the weight of their chosen subject matter rather than simply using it as fodder for brutal breakdowns.
On the surface, we have the visceral impact of words chosen for their ability to unsettle and provoke. Dig deeper, and you will find a philosophy of sorts—a worldview that acknowledges the fundamental dysfunction of modern existence without offering false hope or easy solutions. This isn’t nihilism as teenage posturing; this is nihilism as hard-earned wisdom, the kind that comes from watching the world burn and realizing you’re holding the matches.
Looking forward, one can only wonder what Beyond Extinction will do for an encore. Having laid bare their souls and worldview so completely on their debut, the challenge will be finding new territories to explore without simply repeating themselves. Based on the evidence presented here, however, that seems unlikely to be a problem. This is a band with too much to say and too much talent to waste time treading water.
“Where They Gather” stands as one of the year’s most challenging and rewarding death metal releases. It is an album that trusts its listeners to engage with difficult subject matter and complex emotions, rewarding that trust with music that feels genuinely vital and necessary. In a genre too often content to coast on established formulas, Beyond Extinction have created something that feels urgent, important, and uniquely their own.
On the 26th of September, the result of three years of suffering and observations through the lens of nihilism is born.
Where They Gather track listing:
1. Bodies at the Gates
2. Where They Gather
3. Traitors to The Ropes
4. Tyranny ft. Alex Teyen (Black Tongue)
5. Scorched Earth
6. Apache ft. Josh Davies (Ingested)
7. Seven Spears
8. Throne of Atrophy
9. Winter Sun
10. Mansions Burning on Bleak Horizons
11. Earthmurk
12. The Mines
13. U-235
Line-up:
Jasper Harmer – Vocals
Jude Bennett – Guitars
Danny Russel – Guitars
Niall Ali – Drums
https://beyondextinction.online
https://www.instagram.com/beyondextinction
8/10
