Review: “Where They Gather” by Beyond Extinction

From the moment we first heard 2020 single “God Complex” we knew that Beyond Extinction were going to be up to no good in their Essex neighborhood for years to come. At first their youth may have seemed like a hindrance as it prevented them from playing as many live shows as they desired however what it did for them was give them the opportunity to hone their skills and sharpen their blades for when the opportunity did arise. 2021 brought debut EP “Fatal Flaws of Humankind” to the Kings table, its intelligent lyrical narratives and bone snapping riffs confirming that all the talent was there before 2023’s follow up “Nothing More Wretched” saw that promise come intro fruition. The tragic passing of original guitarist Zach Scott in that same year saw the band take a moment to breathe, a farewell show at the iconic Camden Underworld alongside Northern Deathcore brutes Osiah a moment of clarity in a world of chaos. Danny Russel joined the ranks alongside Jude Bennett on guitars with Naill Ali and Jasper Harmer on drums and vocals respectively that day, the line up continuing to honor his memory with each passing moment of their existence. Mixed and Mastered by Andy Mallaby (Osiah, Grief Haven, Ashes Of Iron) with drums and vocals recorded by Mykey Kew (Slave Steel, Broken Calling, Voltstorm) at Rogue Recording, “Where They Gather” is their debut album…

At the gates of a fortress stronghold in the middle of a barren wind swept post apocalyptic wasteland Beyond Extinction lay in wait, the quartet setting an eerie scene with barely audible radio chatter as introduction piece “Bodies at the Gates” sounds a bleak warning. That flows into the savage Thrall riff laden title track “Where They Gather“, vocalist Jasper Harmer reaching new levels of bowel clenching depravity with his demonic throat splitting performance. Subtle tempo shifts offering down tuned darkness, the bands nightmarish vision for their debut full length album coming into sharp focus as the brutal “Traitors to the Ropes” hits like a brick to the skull during a building site face off between feuding gangs. Cutting a path through the urban jungle with a machete the four piece throw elements of Death Metal, DJent, Thrall and Downtempo Deathcore intro the mix while flirting with the odd Nu-Metalcore riff should their black hearts so desire. The result is a bleak and crushing blend that at times feels like being dragged kicking and screaming into a black hole by your nemesis only to come out the other side with their head in a bag and your hands on a bloody axe wondering what just happened. The first of the guest vocalists appears on “Tyranny” with Alex Teyen of Black Tongue and Aversions Crown fame venting his spleen over some slow, powerful and soul squeezing grooves. Naill Ali deserves a lot of credit for a standout performance on the kit on this one, offering some interesting fills as he is forced to play unnaturally slowly in order to create the swirling atmosphere of pure unadulterated evil the song demands.

Offering a moment of fleeting respite interlude piece “Scorched Earth” provides radio chatter between a helicopter pilot and base control before “Apache” finds the band joined Josh Davies of Ingested for a moment of wrecking ball sized madness. Harmer spits blood as he goes toe to toe with Davies, the pairs vocal strains well matched in tone so you get shriller moments wrapped around the death growls like a boa constrictor. A headbangers delight that will no doubt summon the masses to mosh pits across this land, it proves the band have the strength to overcome every obstacle in their path to walk where Gods fear to tread. Maintaining perpetual forward motion with razor sharp riffage that burns like wire and an intensity second to none “Seven Spears” finds Harmer at his brutal best, spitting pure venom over the deranged rhythmic battery his troops have to offer. Whispers serve as a warning as “Throne of Atrophy” rises from the abyss and you can just picture Buster Odeholm smiling at his undoubted influence. On this evidence you can bet your bottom dollar he’d love to work with them on their next album. The breakdowns are a punishment beating, the jarring, spine juddering riffs enough to cleave flesh from bone. Small bursts of higher energy mean the tension filled atmosphere remains one you can cut with a knife before the battery acid nausea of “Winter Sun” gouges out your eyes. A depiction of a discarded utopia taken back by nature, the track is a bone snapper of dark, brooding atmospherics and vicious breakdowns, the quartet ploughing a new furrow to the discerning listeners cranium with the intensity of the white heat they generate.

Naill Ali gets the opportunity to blast his way out of the nightmarish vision of hell the Essex Death Metal mosh pit violence inciters have created on the cage rattling “Mansions Burning on Bleak Horizons“. A tune to help you breathe more easily at the tempo of the damned, it has the Downtempo Deathcore conclusion that you might have predicted and you can’t help but wonder if the four piece could tear Europe apart by signing with a label like Century Media and following in the footsteps of bands like Distant. On this evidence that only seems like a matter of time. The next throw of the dice is the brutal “Earthmurk“, a cut that flirts with Technical Death Metal moments while continuing the descent into the very bowels of hell itself with its churn and burn guitar work. Going faster, harder and arguably more extreme “The Mines” packs the kind of punch that brings tall buildings crashing to the ground with its venomous fury. A dramatic slowdown in the mid section feels almost inevitable but you might not hear it coming on the first couple of spins, the band pushing on the borders and boundaries of sub-genres with their insanely heavy output. Your ears will bleed and you will thank them for it because they will force open your minds eye and give you an insight into a dark new realm that you will never escape from. The oddly titled “U-236” brings the bloodstained curtain down in instrumental form, the four piece offering up one more gut punch for good measure. Be warned, this isn’t for the faint of heart with its anvil heavy anthems but it is an urgent and important moment in time you’re going to want to heed the warning of [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Bodies at the Gates
2. Where They Gather
3. Traitors to the Ropes
4. Tyranny (ft. Alex Teyen of Black Tongue and Aversions Crown)
5. Scorched Earth
6. Apache (ft. Josh Davies of Ingested)
7. Seven Spears
8. Throne of Atrophy
9. Winter Sun
10. Mansions Burning on Bleak Horizons
11. Earthmurk
12. The Mines
13. U-236

“Where They Gather” by Beyond Extinction is out 26th September 2025