Extremist

After 14 years, the Christian metalcore unit Demon Hunter shouldn’t have to prove their heaviness to anyone. That said, *Extremist* dials back some of the nonstop intensity that characterized the quintet’s work in recent years. That doesn’t mean the band has gone soft and fuzzy, however—there’s plenty of unalloyed aggression in the service of the Spirit here. What’s different this time is a greater emphasis on contrasting textures, heard most specifically in frontman Ryan Clark’s deft shifts between harsh and clean vocals. He alternately caresses and pummels the listener on “One Last Song,” “Beyond Me,” and “Gasoline” as Patrick Judge and Jeremiah Scott lay down bracing guitar firepower behind him. Strong melodic content and feverish energy make “Artificial Light” a standout, while “In Time” churns on with particular ferocity. If the album leans toward musical nuance, its lyrics are more uncompromising than ever. “Cross to Bear” (a tirade against false comparisons with Christ’s suffering) and “I Will Fail You” (acknowledging the fallen nature of Man) exalt God even as they condemn a sinful world.

Extremist, the seventh long-player from the Nashville-based Christian metal outfit responsible for delivering CCM a much needed kick in the teeth for the last decade or so, opens ostentatiously with "Death," a fractured, brutish, and surprisingly opulent (at least in its Ghost B.C.-inspired first half) introduction to an album that covers a lot of ground, stylistically.