EP Review: Beyond Extinction – Three Swords (Self Released)

Essex based death metal band Beyond Extinction will release their new EP, Three Swords, on 23rd October 2026.

Formed in 2018, Beyond Extinction have built a reputation for their heavy, down tuned deathcore sound, with their debut album Where They Gather helping to raise their profile. Now, the four-piece return with a four-track EP inspired by the dark history of their home county, exploring stories of witchfinders, plague and violence. Self-released, Three Swords sees the band delving into some particularly grim subject matter while continuing to build on the sound they have become known for.

Beyond Extinction are Jasper Harmer on vocals, Niall Ali on drums with Jude Bennett and Danny Russell on guitars.

Three Swords gets underway with Witchfinder. It’s a very grim, very dark and intense track with filthy guttural vocals, lots of distortion and dissonance. There is a lot of atmosphere built across the song, and it’s one of darkness, despair and desperation. The vocals are horrible, in a good way, and the slow, reverberating drum beats and riffs echo through you, really setting the scene for the EP.

The fading noises of the first track lead directly into Skin of the Beast and, of course, stylistically, it’s similar, with some really nasty deathcore and brutal death sounds. There is a bit more tempo to this one. It’s not fast, but the beat is there, and I really like the contrast between the higher-pitched melody and the lower tones of everything else.

Carrying straight on again, The Estuary takes up the baton as Beyond Extinction continue to pummel us with a disgustingly dark sound that delivers plenty of nightmarish atmosphere. Considering the subject matter they’re covering here, credit to them for getting the tone and atmosphere spot on to really deliver that story. It’s another brutal track, and again, there is a bit more pace building as we work through Three Swords. The overall feeling of threat and dread is there, with the dissonant riffs and pounding drums proving impactful. Little moments of contrast from the lead guitars break up the tracks cleverly at times, and while it’s always heavy and extreme, changes in the tone and style of the vocals keep things feeling creative and interesting from that angle too.

Three Swords comes to a close with A Dark Sickness (Three Swords), and no prizes for guessing whether it’s going to be heavy or not. Of course it is. The same style, tone and atmosphere bleed through this track as the rest of the EP. It’s nasty, raw and intense, but also clever, interesting and fitting for the season, too (Halloween). It’s a pretty short track, but it has impact, with insane vocals and brutally effective music. I even enjoy the idea of leaving the sounds running for the last 40–50 seconds to close us out in the atmosphere, surrounded by silence and the dead.

Three Swords is a nasty, dark and brutally atmospheric release from Beyond Extinction. The band get the tone spot on, delivering a dissonant, downtuned sound that feels full of threat and dread. There is enough variation in pace, melody and vocals to keep things interesting, and the way the tracks flow into each other helps make this a cohesive listen. It’s a short but impactful EP, and one that feels particularly fitting for the Halloween season.

Track List

1 – Witchfinder
2 – Skin Of The Beast
3 – The Estuary
4 – A Dark Sickness (Three Swords)

Beyond Extinction Links

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