Vocalist Trevor Phipps also ups the ante by trying some new things. There’s the slightly odd climactic chanting of the title-track, actually singing – relatively gently – on Into The Abyss, and channelling his inner Liam Cormier on Broken Arrow, which is winningly Cancer Bats-esque. Of course elsewhere he snarls and roars away, making it a true Unearth album, while Buz McGrath also delivers on the solos, every one of them the perfect blend of technicality and hooky.
They will not win awards for originality, but The Wretched; The Ruinous is a reminder of how exciting metalcore can be when executed with passion and integrity, and that’s welcome in 2023.
Verdict: 4/5
For fans of: Machine Head, Knocked Loose, Bury Your Dead
The Wretched; The Ruinous is out now via Century Media