Album Review: Beyond Extinction – Where They Gather (Self Released)

Essex death metallers Beyond Extinction will release their long-awaited debut full-length, ‘Where They Gather’, on September 26th, 2025. The culmination of pain, work and progress across more than three years of suffering and observations through the lens of nihilism.

Honestly, it’s a miracle that Beyond Extinction are still standing. Having gone through more than any band should with the death of founding member Zach Scott in 2023. It’s the sort of heartbreaking and soul-destroying event that could end a band, but through adversity Beyond Extinction have found strength, and this album is testament to that. It’s not a happy listen, it’s not a feel-good experience, it’s destructive and dystopian, relentlessly heavy and harsh, but goodness, does it kick all kinds of ass.

This isn’t a surprise though as their EPs ‘The Fatal Flaws of Humankind’ and ‘Nothing More Wretched’ told us this. Delivering vast intensity and nihilistic heaviness through the medium of raw and rough death metal. Which is given even more weight thanks to story-telling that is painfully real (credit to vocalist/lyricist Jasper Harmer here) and technical flair that adds a sharpness to things, be it razor like or serrated.

This really is an impressive debut, and the clues are there from the start with the crushing pair of Bodies at the Gates and the title track. Brutishly heavy, darkly intense, and with proficient technical flourishes that really stand out. Beyond Extinction are adept at crushing, but it’s the nuances that matter too. An early showcase of the album’s variety, which isn’t always something you can say about death metal.

There are two guests on the album, Alex Teyen of Black Tongue and Josh Davies of Ingested. The former features on the maliciously violent Tyranny where, together, they dish out a pummelling that has a deliberate never-ending feeling. The tempo of this track ensures you feel every single blow. Whereas the latter features on Apache, a track as visceral as it gets, dealing with genuine real-life horror and dishing out some punishing riffs.

Not that there isn’t much on the album that doesn’t leave your mind spinning, your soul rendered, and your body wrecked. From the methodical mercilessness of Traitors to the Ropes, the crunchy thickness of Seven Spears, and disconcerting atmosphere of Throne of Atrophy, to the vehement riff/drum combo of Winter Sun (which also happens to have a killer breakdown too), the middle part of the album slays. This is Beyond Extinction’s ambition realised and there’s no denying that the strength of this album comes from the dark and destructive outlook it embodies.

It might all sound a bit too much, likely to desensitise the mind, except each blast of unforgiving fury comes with detail that makes everything feel fresh. While the overall death metal formula isn’t given too much of a shake up here, there is no denying that Beyond Extinction have been more than willing to experiment too. It’s why things remain so compelling as the album comes to an end. First, via Mansions Burning on Bleak Horizons, something more akin to deathcore. Then with the filthy and heavy groove of Earthmurk. Before The Mines declares war on necks, demanding northing but pure subjugation when it comes to head banging, and U-235 puts the exclamation mark on one of 2025’s most destructive and vicious sounding records with less than two minutes of instrumental heft and hellacious heaviness. A furious and focused finish.

It has been worth the wait. Just be warned, you’re going to come away having felt chewed up and spat out.

Beyond Extinction – Where They Gather Track Listing:

1. Bodies at the Gates
2. Where They Gather
3. Traitors to the Ropes
4. Tyranny ft. Alex Teyen (Black Tongue)
5. Scorched Earth
6. Apache ft. Josh Davies (Ingested)
7. Seven Spears
8. Throne of Atrophy
9. Winter Sun
10. Mansions Burning on Bleak Horizons
11. Earthmurk
12. The Mines
13. U-235

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