The men in black are back, and “To The Death” is the brash heralding of their return. When Earth Crisis performed what was to be their final show ever at Hellfest 2001 in Syracuse at the tail end of their touring cycle for the controversial return-to-Victory Records full-length “Slither,” I had a feeling they’d be back. As much as the band came increasingly under fire from critics as they evolved past their “Firestorm” and “Destroy The Machines” eras, the militant vegan straight-edge pioneers of the 90’s remained one of the most distinguishable and satisfying metallic hardcore units to emerge from the often-misunderstood decade that was the 90’s, until the sweaty end at that Syracuse festival 8 years ago. Not to mention one of the only whose members remained edge. Amidst all the publicity surrounding Earth Crisis’ decidedly clear-cut political slant on things and their vocal support of organizations like PETA over the years, what increasingly ended up being lost was recognition that the band’s songwriting genius and the sheer viciousness of their live performance had only gotten better with age. Bands like Hatebreed, The Acacia Strain, Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, Unearth, Throwdown, and about a thousand others simply wouldn’t exist if not for Earth Crisis. Ever since it became cool again in the hardcore scene to like Earth Crisis, the hope has for their comeback record to sound like their highly-influential 1994 “Destroy The Machines” record. Public Enemy said decades ago, though, don’t believe the hype. “To The Death” is a return to form; to an extent. As before, down-tempo grooves led by the ever-attacking guitar work of Scott Crouse and Erick Edwards are the vehicle for Karl Buechner’s unmistakable roar. The only lineup difference between then and now is former Earth Crisis guitarist Kris Weichmann, who left the band in 1998 to form Godbelow and later, Brand New Sin. But really, as great of an album as “Destroy The Machines” was, what lifelong fan of Earth Crisis would in their right minds ignore the matchless albums that came out between then and now? “Gomorrah’s Season Ends,” “Breed The Killers,” “Slither,” and “The Oath That Sets Me Free (live)” are releases that conveyed animal rights, environmental conservation, anti-factory farming, and media awareness viewpoints with more songwriting prowess than any other band. As the upstate N.Y. band approaches its 20th anniversary, they truly sound more fresh-faced than ever. Earth Crisis was, and always will be, a mosh lover’s dream and “To The Death” only further solidifies their assets in this regard. The much-discussed clean vocals and softer moments of “Slither” have been bulldozed over by crushing downtuned riff after downtuned riff on “To The Death,” making the band sound more like a NYHC band than ever before. Ironic that as Earth Crisis have now resurged with surprisingly more visible hardcore roots than most expected following years of churning out virtually pure heavy metal, the closely-related Unholy, which features Jonathan Dennison of Earth Crisis side-project The Path of Resistance, When Tigers Fight, Another Victim, Santa Sangre, and The Promise will turn out a decidedly more metal record with “New Life Behind Closed Eyes” on Prosthetic Records later this year. With Earth Crisis longtime admirers of the new wave of 90’s metal bands Fear Factory and Machine Head, those bands’ influence continues to shine on “To The Death” as they have since “Breed The Killers,” on which Machine Head frontman Rob Flynn delivered impassioned guest vocals on the emblematic epic, “One Against All.”