Beyond Extinction shed light on dark history with new single "Witchfinder"
Essex natives Beyond Extinction are one of the most exciting bands in UK deathcore right now and, today, they're using their platform to shed light on the dark history that bleeds into the streets of their very own doorstep. Brand new single Witchfinder tackles the often overlooked truth of one of human history's most devious eras, with Essex's role in the religiously-fuelled witch hunts of the 1600's outnumbering the infamous and more globally publicised Salem witch trials, at a staggering 25 < 300+.
It is almost impossible to find a corner of the county of Essex untouched by the terror which scythed down women across our county with horrific efficacy. Paying homage to this backbone in the history of Beyond Extinction's home county, Witchfinder is a declaration that 'Essex Death' is not a surface-level tagline. Low, slow and oppressive to the last note and word, the story of hundreds of our people killed in cold blood is now told in double-drop tuning. The music video was recorded at historically vital locations, notably the ducking pond of Mistley village, which hosted the public drownings of multiple women at the time.
On the inspiration of the new track, vocalist Jasper Harmer explains:
"'Witchfinder' is a track that holds a very important connection between the evil music we make and the evil place we come from. Learning about the depth of the witch hunts in the history of our home county of Essex was a fascinating but disturbing privilege and filming on location at some powerful spots made this a very unique single to create. I feel that reading on the exploitation of our county by fear mongering, mob mentality and cultural misogyny of the time has opened my eyes to a lot of comparatives in contemporary society as the beast of misinformation rears its ugly head all around us. We are proud to call this county our home, and we are always impressed by its rich and vital lineage in some of the most harrowing stories imaginable. 'Witchfinder' is your doorway into the terrifying history of the place we call home. "
Witchfinder is available to stream now HERE, and you can watch the official video on YouTube below:
And just last week, Beyond Extinction announced they'd be bridging the gap between Essex and Canada, with a UK co-headline run alongside the aptly named Canadian exports, Salem Trials. From live shows with the biggest names in the genre (Humanity's Last Breath, Signs of the Swarm, Brand of Sacrifice + more) to releases tallying hundreds of thousands of streams, these two acts push the boundary of how low, slow and vile deathcore can truly get. In March 2027 the UK will be the site of 10 shows brimming with ferocity and live energy, with co-headline sets from each band that will throttle audiences nationwide. New music from both groups will be showcased on stages across Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Chesterfield, Stoke On Trent, Essex, Bournemouth, Bristol, London, and Brighton.
Cross-Atlantic Death UK Tour (co-headline w/ Salem Trials)
Fri 19th Mar - GLASGOW Ivory Blacks
Sat 20th Mar - NEWCASTLE The Lubber Fiend
Sun 21st Mar - LEEDS The Lending Rooms
Mon 22nd Mar - CHESTERFIELD Real Time Live
Tue 23rd Mar - STOKE ON TRENT Riff Factory
Wed 24th Mar - ESSEX Secret Show TBA
Thu 25th Mar - BOURNEMOUTH The Anvil
Fri 26th Mar - BRISTOL The Louisianna
Sat 27th Mar - LONDON Beyond The Grave Festival
Sun 28th Mar - BRIGHTON Daltons
If March 2027 is far too long for you to wait to get your head kicked in by the Essex four-piece, then you can catch them on their upcoming run of autumn and winter shows supporting Burner, plus a handful of other headline dates.
Sat 12th Sep - COLCHESTER Essex Deathfest+
Sat 26th Sep - LONDON The Lower Third*
Thu 29th Oct - BIRMINGHAM The Flapper*
Fri 30th Oct - SOUTHAMPTON The Joiners*
Sat 31st Oct - BRISTOL The Croft*
Sun 1st Nov - BRIGHTON Green Door Store*
Thu 31st Dec - SOUTHEND-ON-SEA The Fickle Pickle+
+ Headliner
* Supporting Burner
Tickets for all shows are available now HERE.
Witchfinder is the first piece of new music since Essex's resident death metallers released their cataclysmically anthropic debut album "Where They Gather" back in September 2025, which was crowned #46 in Metal Hammer's Top 50 Albums of 2025 and labelled as "a deathcore record so feral and untamed it has the potential to become a scene standout."
Creating a visually compelling backdrop to their music is a constant element in Beyond Extinction’s song-writing, embossing their lyrics and ambient soundscapes with personal horrors and realisations. Dense and asphyxiatingly heavy, "Where They Gather" offers a hazed vision of pain and loss, introspection and anthropy, and hindsight and foresight into a world that was not built for us.
2025 was not only the year that saw the fruits of their labour come into fruition in the form of their long-awaited debut album, but they'd also hit the road and performed an array of select headline dates and three successful "I was there!" moments. Co-headline shows with blackened deathcore southerners To Obey A Tyrant, Gutrectomy and Kanine, as well as an opening slot at London's Underworld with straightedge Australians To The Grave and long-time northern savage besties Osiah, were only a warm up for Beyond Extinction. 2026 is set to only push them further, having already upped the ante with their opening slot at a sold out debut show at London's Underworld for hardcore's most exciting newcomers Spitting Glass.
