Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Becoming the Archetype - Children of the Great Extinction (2022)
The last album by Becoming the Archetype before their 10 year split was a great yet slightly flawed death metal/core album, I Am. As much as I enjoyed it, the change in lineup and underwhelmed response from the band would result in their split. That is, until Jason Wisdom revived it with their comeback Children of the Great Extinction!
This is the band's second full-on concept album after I Am. It is a tale of fantasy and redemption similar to the worlds of Middle-Earth and Narnia. But instead of a series of books or a trilogy or films, the story is told through a 50-minute, making the concept short and easy. And just like I Am, the climatic epilogue where everything in the first 9 tracks makes its conclusion is in the final 10th.
"The Dead World" begins the story with the discovery of a lifeless planet, containing "nothing but a wasteland, a roiling sea, chaos and entropy, uninhabited, uninhabitable". Then the punishing "The Lost Colony" follows. Former guitarist Daniel Gailey, who is currently with Phinehas and Fit for a King, performs blazing soloing. Something the band may have failed to notice is the title of next track "The Remnant" being similar to their former band name. That, and RYM considering their sole album as The Remnant being part of BTA's discography caused some confusion when I was requesting adding it to this site. Still a cool song all the same!
"The Calling" comes on, and the melodeath/metalcore sound is blended with the progressiveness of Extol and the symphonics of Xerath. The ending guitar solo is so epic, performed by Aletheian/Solamors guitarist Alex Kenis who was also in the BTA album The Physics of Fire. "The Phantom Field" is a symphonic interlude, and a much better one than in the previous album. It leads to "The Awakening", starting off with a lovely oriental intro. Then we have the brutal yet melodic "The Hollow".
"The Ruins" is another great track in which the character continues his harrowing quest, "Standing in the ruins, a world forsaken, the empty faces of hollow creatures, longing to awaken". Demon Hunter vocalist Ryan Clark makes his 3rd BTA vocal contribution. The brutality continues in "The Curse" in both the music and lyrics, "Welcome to the world of dead men!" The great climax is reached in the final 8 and a half minute epic "The Sacrament". With chants of "Go and reclaim the planet!", I'm like d*mn, this is a true definition of a melodeath fairytale.
I'm not lying when I say not a single thing has taken a toll for the band. They still have their talent in other bands, such as Jason Wisdom in Death Therapy. Children of the Great Extinction can be considered a continuation of the main lineup since Celestial Completion, I Am in both the discography and the sound evolution, and the missing link between The Remnant and Terminate Damnation. Either way, my description of their new album isn't as good as the album itself. A memorable start of a new era!
Favorites: "The Lost Colony", "The Calling", "The Awakening", "The Ruins", "The Sacrament"