Digging the Nu-Metal/Groove Metal scene? Looking for something new to entertain your ears that you and your friends have not likely heard before? Of course you are. Hell, we are all always searching for stuff we have never heard before. Nature of the damned beast, right? In addition, I also like supporting local music, no matter what locale a band hails from. With that in mind, let me introduce you to Tipperary, Ireland’s own Sixth Extinction.
This Death/Grind Metal band had its start in 2013 by guitarists Wojtek Orlik and Dave Fogarty and currently also include Liam Ryan on vox, Lukasz Ryz on bass and Grzegorz Skowroński covering the drums; all current or former members of Trayus, iBurn, Within and Elements. Interestingly, after speaking with Dave Fogarty, the Metal scene in Ireland is necessarily small, because the country is just not that big. As a result, everyone plays with everyone else. In other words, most musicians play in at least two bands at any given point in time. This “more bands than musicians” is in stark contrast to the “more musicians than bands” concept I am more familiar with here in the U.S. of A (for more information about Irish Metal check out the killer link Dave sent me: Irish Metal Archive. A plethora of information here!). Learn something new and cool every day. Back to Sixth Extinction… Being influenced by the likes of Pantera, Sepultura, Fear Factory, Stereomud, Black Label Society, Korn, Deftones, Machinehead, Lamb of God, Mnemic, Eye Empire and Soil, Sixth Extinction discovered early-on that they enjoyed playing “the bouncier Groove Metal side of things more [than Death/Grind Metal]… Six Extinction’s sound is about taking the fun elements of metal and creating songs that are fun to play and even more enjoyable to listen to.” Based on their recently release, 4 song, self-titled EP, I think they made a good choice.
While a bit heavier and faster than a lot of Groove Metal out today, Sixth Extinction does not stray too far from their chosen target. Vocals are predictably barked out Machine Head style with a touch of Anselmo; most lyrics being understood and clear enough to get the gist of their aggressive and angry themes. The thick guitar work of Orlik and Fogarty create an ominous and heavy atmosphere for the rhythms and deep, rumbling bass of Ryz and drumming of Skowroński. Pacing goes from fast to blast-beating, with enough variety to engage the listener throughout. “Para/Lies” is probably my favorite track on the EP, but all are entertaining as hell. The song-writing and playing skills of Sixth Extinction are obvious from start to finish. Sixth Extinction definitely brought everything they had to the party when recording their EP. As a final polish on this killer debut is the production quality. Recorded in Gaff Studios; production, mixing and mastering by Joe Gallagher are as good as it gets. Big thumbs up here. Nothing worse than an obviously good band sounding like it was recorded in a coffee can.
So there you have it. New music that you can enjoy and support now while watching their star rise. Give them a listen, and remember to buy these bands tunes. It is what keeps good, new music coming at you well into the future. Sixth Extinction definitely fits the bill and will grow with the help of fans and local music lovers everywhere! Full stream of the Sixth Extinction and their latest video can be seen below. Enjoy and pass along all of their Groove goodness!
All things Sixth Extinction can be found on:
Sixth Extinction EP tracklist:
“Defiance”
“Para/Lies”
“Eulogy”
“Built From Ashes”
