EXTINCT - Incitement of Violence
“The Spirit of 80s American Thrash Metal is Alive & Well in Northern Germany”
Written by Big Bear Buchko

At some point in every metal-head’s journey to the darkest and the hardest, we make a pass through the archives of the 1980s. It’s evitable, as eventually everyone submits to the wiles of Kill em All, Hell Awaits, and the absolutely monstrous Electric Youth by Ms. Debbie Gibson. (The title track is fire – fight me.) We like it, we love it, and then we hang onto our nostalgic favorites as we move on down the line through harder bands like Pantera, Slipknot, and eventually Sanguisagsaskatchewandidomanbogg. I know that name is wrong but really actually not by all that much. You know who I’m talking about.

And this is where Extinct steps into the room. I would like to start by saying it would be a groß understatement to say that I was impressed by this album. Extinct is a band that is obviously very passionate about the sound and the fury of American trash metal of the ‘80s, but as opposed to so many other acts with a “vintage” sound, their approach in no way contains mimicry or the ever-present dread of parody. This isn’t intended to feel “vintage.” It’s intended to feel perfect-present of that timeframe. They’re not trying to resemble their forefathers; they’re attempting to carve their name into a long-standing monolith next to the legends of old. And, you know what, it works.

The album opener – “Negation” – is a song-less, instrument-less, atmospheric scene of warfare and background chaos. It’s theatrics. Drama. But it focuses your mind in the direction they want it to be in for the eleven other tracks ahead. The first we hear of the band is on the following track – “Ilwast.” I feel conned; I spent 10 minutes with Google Translate trying to figure out what the fuck that meant and I came back empty. Anyway, bass sounds cool.

My initial thought about halfway through is how much this reminds me of very early Slayer, although the ‘70s hardcore punk influence probably harkens more to their Undisputed Attitude-era. However, this is the last time I’ll make a comparison between this band and any other, because as we go into the third track and then the fourth – “Annihilation by Words” and “Mental Disorder,” respectively – it becomes overtly apparent that these guys are somehow both a juxtaposition of ALL of the old metal bands, and like absolutely none of them all at once. There is real and significant talent here, especially in their two extraordinary guitarists - David and Leda. Their combined abilities to solo with a familiar vibe that’s also distinctly and uniquely their own is shockingly impressive, and admittedly, a big part of what won me over.

We know we’ve just about reached the halfway point once we cross over another atmospheric not-a-song song, which is kind of disappointing considering its name was “Shattered Bowels” and I got kind of excited about what I was going to hear. But no, the only shattered bowels are my own from the milk shake I had earlier in the evening. (Lactose intolerance is a real thing, folks, but it’s not going to keep me from my ice cream.) “Slaughter in the Trenches” is the first time I zero in on the drummer, and how enjoyable and precise his…. his? I’m assuming it’s a guy.

The name listed is Schulzi and Google Translate is now 0 for 2 for me tonight, so we’re going with “his.”    …how enjoyable and precise his timekeeping is. For a moment, his drums hit with such brilliant perfection that they come across like rapid-fire thpa thpa thpa thpa thpa thpa thpa and you can’t help but think to yourself, "Oh, this guy’s good." Well, rock on, Schulzi. Do I have pics of this band? I do. Oh, and there *IS* a girl in the group. I’ll be damned. Now, that’s kind of who I assumed Leda to be… but maybe I’m wrong, maybe that’s not the way German names work at all. Leda could be the bearded guy and Schulzi could be the girl. No idea. My point being: drummer GOOD.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t pay special attention in this article to what was very genuinely my favorite track on the album – “Lickspittle.” This band has such a good variation in their styles and general songwriting, and their ability to craft a pop-format thrash metal anthem is nowhere near as present as it is in “Lickspittle.” It is a catchy, middle eastern-inspired riff, wrapped in cymbal-heavy drums, alternating vocals and chants, and in the end you feel like you’ve heard something better than “underground metal.” This is a legitimately good song; the vocals are strong, the harmonic atonality of the guitars is beautiful - this is a fucking jam. I’ve already added it to my phone for automotive enjoyment throughout the weekend, which is the highest compliment a music journalist can give a band. “I like you enough to listen to you when I don’t have to.” That’s solid.

All in all, Incitement of Violence is a very decent record, and I’d happily recommend it to any fan of the genre or even of a Stranger Things-level of nostalgia. Tonight, we have proven that American thrash metal is not extinct… with Extinct. The drums are hypnotic, the guitars are neurotic, and the vocals sound so exactly CBGB’s 1981. Find the record, listen to it, go to Germany and see them live. Hell, I’m going to be back in Berlin around May of next year – guys, let’s set it up and do an interview, what do you say? SOMEONE’S gotta fuckin’ tell me what “Ilwast” means.