Christian death metal juggernauts Becoming the Archetype are back with their first new album in 10 years. Children of the Great Extinction is their first full length releases since 2012’s I AM. This is even more monumental because it features the return of bassist/vocalist Jason Wisdom and drummer Brent Duckett, Both have been absent from the band since 2011’s Celestial Completion. With the return of Wisdom and Duckett, Becoming the Archetype have largely moved away from the deathcore and djent elements of I AM.

Children of the Great Extinction is a return to form, of sorts. The band reembraces it’s more sweeping and symphonic elements. And symphonic is the key word here. Becoming the Archetype has always played with the more dramatic elements related to death and black metal. They have employed synthesizers, organs, classical guitars, and even brass.

Becoming the Archetype have never been afraid of exploring the possibilities of the genre. Terminate Damnation struck an excellent balance between death and black elements. Then they took a hard left deep into European Metal influences on Physics of Fire. Eventually BTA settled back into a comfortable blend of the melodic black metal and progressive death metal elements on Dichotomy. This sharply transitioned into their most experimental foray on Celestial Completion (which even features a death ska song on “Cardiac Rebellion.”

On their new album, the band heavily embraces string accompaniment. This adds a sense of drama and foreboding. They also deftly employing clean vocals throughout to emphasize the scope of their ambition. Children of the Great Extinction is meant to be a sci-fi concept album, with Wisdom declaring “This world was dead from the start!” on the first track “The Dead World.”

The following track “The Lost Colony” tells the story of twelve brave souls who were sent out from this dying world to find and establish an outpost, only to lose connection with their home world. Like the colonists on LV-421 (of Aliens) they don’t know what happened to their hopeful future. “The Remnant” describes the perspective of those left behind waiting.

The metal scene is not unfamiliar with sci-fi concepts. The most well-known is of course Coheed and Cambria’s Amory Wars. Unlike Coheed, you don’t need to have a deep knowledge of comics and lore, as well as a companion book to follow the storyline here. The story Becoming the Archetype tell is interesting enough for fans of stories like The Matrix, Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Sunshine to read the liner notes.

But if you’re just here for the music, BTA bring it in spades. You have all the progressive elements of previous albums with soaring clean sections. You get a narrative flow that includes both moments of brutality and beauty. The trio also make the most of their instruments, creating a full and focused sound.

The band gathers a few key guests, including Daniel Gailey of Fit For A King/Phinehas for a guitar solo and Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter for vocals. But make no mistake, Hecox and Wisdom are more than adequate on their own, but Gailey and Clark do add a fun bit of spice to the mix.

If it hasn’t been said already, Becoming the Archetype are back in full force. Long-time fans of the band will not be disappointed with the new album. And new listeners will find a lot to love here. This will hopefully lead them to explore their eclectic and excellent back catalogue. The hype for Children of the Great Extinction is very real, as all physical formats of the album are currently sold out. So be sure to follow the band on Instagram to jump on board the next pressing. And stream the new album HERE.