It feels like a long time since ETS’ last record, Conquering, hit the listening public’s ears. And it was, I suppose. The second half of 2021, so still well within the ‘Covid times’ as it were. It was a very well-received album it’s fair to say, with some steps taken towards (arguably) more anthemic and melodic lanes, whilst retaining the band’s signature ferocity and unflinching aggression. It was a fair way from The Warmth of a Dying Sun in approach and composition, but it was still very much the same band and also made perfect sense against the backdrop of previous full-length Eternal Forward Motion. So, with almost twice as long between records this time as ever before, and with the lead single causing some extensive discourse (more on that shortly), a lot of people are going to be approaching this record with some pretty serious curiosity.

To address the elephant in the room, the curiosity and apprehension comes primarily from the question of whether ETS are going down the same route as many of their quasi-contemporaries (The Ghost Inside, Architects, etc) and embracing a more radio-friendly sound. First single ‘Atonement’ featuring Will Ramos of deathcore titans Lorna Shore, employs some pretty typical, rhythmically focused ETS riffing for the most part, but draws on melody, clean vocals and genuine singalong moments to elevate, and bring the song truly to life. And that’s maybe the point as far as I can see; those moments do bring the song to life. Whether that is your favourite version of ETS is up to you. It has a singularly wild and yet beautifully measured solo from Sammy, a vocal performance from Justine that shows the chops she has from a hard-hitting beat-based perspective, and they get something genuinely cool and arguably unique from Ramos as well. It raised eyebrows and questions when it dropped but I like it more each time I hear it. It’s interesting from an optics perspective that the 2nd single also features more prominent electronics and clean vocals as well, I will admit. And a lot of people seemed to think they knew what the record at large sounded like based on those 2 songs.

However, ETS do a good job of sedating, if not slaying the aforementioned elephant themselves, by opening the album with ‘Treachery’. A white-hot, high-paced rager with all the elements a typical ETS superfan could want. The track doesn’t really step back or drop its level of attack at any point and the thuggish beatdown in the second half of the track is neck-snapping utopia. And that’s far from the only one, I should make absolutely clear. There are, as there were in the last record, expeditions into the cleaner areas of hookier metal, but this record would still make your parents shit their pants, fear not. The rhythm section are unrelentingly punishing. Hard as hell, but with technical skills and surgical precision that are undeniable. What I was not expecting to be reminded of when I was listening to this record, is peak era While She Sleeps. There is a mellifluous, fluid nature to some of the verse riffing that feels very familiar, (albeit rather more baritone and percussive than ‘Sleeps ever were) as well as there being a flair for hard-hitting choruses that introduce just enough melody and notes of heavy metal flamboyance to make things immediately memorable.

There are also guest spots from Serena of Svalbard and Jesse from Killswitch Engage. Along with Will Ramos, it makes for an eclectic group and a pretty apt cross-section of ETS’ peers at this point. They can wield the extremity of Lorna Shore, they can draw on the same well of socially conscious insight that Serena does, and they (more now than ever) have the ability to drop a swelling, rolling chorus that was simply not present in their earlier records; akin to the way Killswitch do. (Or did in earlier records, if I’m being flattering to ETS and begrudgingly honest about current-era Killswitch) And that’s high praise. I think what I’m trying to say is that where once there was the chaotic, mathy hardcore stuff that used to flip me out in one way, there are now other strings to ETS’ bow that I wasn’t sure they would ever have. But they certainly have them now. And they use them to great effect. “From This Day Forward” could once upon a time have been a little bit one dimensional. But now? With the complex nature of the playing that exists in it, it becomes every inch the 5 minute album closer that it was written to be. Clean guitars, clean vocals, heavy, almost grinding low end, blast beats, screams, complex melodic lines low in the mix and an almost haunting, delicate outro. ETS’ broad range of influences are not only on show, but they’re also developing a sound that includes clean vocals along with screams and gutturals, occasional electronic flourishes set against Sammy’s relentlessly enjoyable guitar stylings; and moments where they allow the songs to open up and breathe deeply, really leaning into their anthemic and stadium-filling potential.

There will be people decrying this record as being compromised, inevitably. Those who identify a few clean vocals and songs that are, at points, built to be sung along to (or the choruses, at least) and immediately revert to the standard, unsubstantiated complaint of a band ‘selling out’ as soon as there are songs that could exist (for example) outside basements and underground metal shows. To be clear: those people are fucking idiots. Those who are aware of Sammy, Justine and their compatriots’ socials will know that they have immense love for (amongst other things) NWOBHM, death metal, prog, modern metal, death metal, grind, and having a good time. So the band delving into, and developing their abilities to write, anthemic, hooky songs? This is what they always were. They’re now just truly discovering they’re really good at it.

I’m annoyed that I’ve spent a chunk of this review explaining why a bunch of crybabies need to be ignored and discounted, but my point ultimately is: we (the whole heavy music community) are lucky to have ETS. And the fact that they’re continuing to do slightly different things with every album, without losing their core sound, or their ties to extremity, as well as what they authentically want to be and do…? Is incredible. As is this record. I can’t think of a modern metal record that I’d prefer to listen to over and over again than this at the moment. The amount of involuntary stank face, headbang, singalong and ‘horns up’ moments is off the chart. I implore you to give it your attention. This record fucking rules.