If you don’t like the new trend of deathcore acts becoming more down-tempo and beatdown, then Extortionist isn’t for you.
Extortionist is the culmination of the past two years of deathcore shift. Beatdown is revitalizing the genre, and Extortionist is quick to capitalize on the trend. Low, slow, slightly etherial, and unapologetic, Extortionist makes a statement: not every band has to be some pillar of complexity, touting break-neck riffs and lyrics about quantum physics. Sometimes it’s fun to just get lost in a sea of breakdowns—and boy do they have breakdowns.
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Every track on the EP is unrelenting; a swirling soundscape of gurgled vocals and down-tuned guitars. The tracks are all the right length, and the vocal stylings of some incredible guest vocalists break up the EP into brutal, manageable chunks. The EP is geared towards the new wave of deathcore listeners, one who appreciate silence and cymbal crashes in their songs. Some might call it dull, and they have every right to. Complexity is not the word Extortionist is going for. If you go into this EP with the right mindset, you’ll get a lot out of it.
All that being said, “The Black Sheep” as an example of modern deathcore really feels full and entertaining. Everything is in the right place, and all of the songs are cohesive. My only complaints are that the mix is a little weak (I wish the vocals were a bit more ferocious, and the limiting less conservative). The composition and flow of the EP drag a little in the middle, but are instantly punched back up Tyler on “Streetwalker.”
As a debut Ep, “The Black Sheep” is certainly impressive, and a lot of fun to listen through. It falls right in line with other modern deathcore/downtempo releases that we’ve been seeing this year, and for what it is, I’d be hard pressed to find something I really didn’t like about it.
Rating: 8.7/10
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