The underground scene on the west coast of the United States has been a slamming and destructive force since the mid-70s, with hardcore and metal constantly interlocking by way of influence or coalesce. It’s still reigning supreme to this day as Californian veterans of each respective scene continue to pummel in and out of the limelight while new bands compete for accrued merit on the spectrum. Extinguish is one of those bands currently waving the flag of metal-tinged hardcore from Sacramento, with their two previously released singles having hinted the release of an EP. Now, that EP has arrived – the self-titled proper debut consisting of provocative beatdowns, pummeling riffs and 90’s hardcore worship, filtered through the veil of the current zeitgeist of the scene’s standards.
The EP starts off with an infiltration of groove and thrash metal influenced riffs through ‘Final Sin’ bleeding seamlessly into ‘Unconquered’ slamming with hammering riffs before pivoting 180 degrees to a more punk influenced rhythm and finishing off with your prototypical closing breakdown. ‘Illusion of Power’ gives more of a full package in its presentation; its musical output running a gamut of swinging rhythms and crawling riffs with the chant-along lyrics “exterminate me!” as added flavor. The song ‘Blood Runs Cold’ is where I realise the sonic death metal influence through the guitars’ tone with their down-tuned overlay, as it bleeds a call back to what you’d sooner hear in an album from Obituary. It all comes to a head in ‘The Judge’ and as the closer it is an accurate, fully articulate representation of their musical and lyrical enterprise—there’s the fast, thrashy bits through their metal inspiration, enough slamming drudge to induce headbanging, and a pitch perfect lead in to the coagulated breakdown capped off with the lyrical call to arms, “Time to pay the fucking price! I’m the judge, here to take your life!”
As it evolves and mutates, the quandaries of hardcore are seeing multiple influences from different realms of metal and punk. It’s in those little differences that relieves the band from being helmed as copycats. Extinguish definitely holds their own in their EP and I believe that the equal representation of their influences promise mirrored commendation from their respective parties.
Extinguish is out now on vinyl and digital via Creator-Destructor Records
