AN NCS PREMIERE: THE PLAGUE — “FESTERING IN SICKNESS”

 

Hailing from Sydney, Australia, The Plague erupted from cemetery earth in 2017 with a debut EP appropriately named Mass Genocide, and then honed their grisly blades with live performances in support of such bands as Angelcorpse, Master, Entombed AD, and Ensiferum (among many others). And now the time has almost come for them to reveal their debut album Within Death, which will be released on April 21st by Bitter Loss Records.

The music of this full-length debut does indeed live within death — death metal of the old school to be precise, of a particularly mauling and murderous, gruesome and ghastly variety. Powered by that beloved chainsawing guitar distortion, propelled by bone-smashing drumwork, and elevated into rarified air by truly astonishing vocal madness, The Plague‘s music is electrifying. We have little doubt that (as the advance press claims) it will strongly appeal to fans of classic Dismember and Entombed as well as more recent entrants such as LIK and Entrails.

The band have released a couple of singles from the album already, and today we’re presenting another one — “Festering In Sickness“.

 

 

Massive HM-2 chords ring out savagely over stomping beats — and then catch fire, blazing in a frenzy over riotous drum fills. The guitar solo that surfaces when the cadence begins to lurch again is a supernatural apparition that seems to wail in despair. And all of that turns out to be a prelude to a barbaric gallop, the guitars writhing and roiling, the vocals a mad screaming conflagration. The pacing and moods of the song continue to shift, slowing and becoming gruesome, racing and becoming murderously frenzied. The guitar leads are flickering and eerie; the vocals are terrifying in their unhinged shrieking expulsions.

The whole thing is exhilarating, and, as we again predict, it’s sure to feed the hunger of slavering fans of old school death metal. The sound also finds a sweet spot between mauling, abrasive heaviness and razor-sharp clarity, with a great balance in the mix that allows all performers to stand out.

 

 

 

And by all means do not miss the two previously released tracks, “Effigy of the Rotten” and “Spawn of Monstrosity“, both of which are further proof that The Plague are a force to be reckoned with — tombstalkers who are completely devoted to crushing and crazed death metal, with the true spirit and the songwriting chops to back it up. You’ll find streams of both those other songs below.

Bitter Loss will release Within Death on CD and vinyl LP formats. April 21 is the date.

ALBUM PRE-ORDER:
https://www.bitterlossrecords.com/the-plague

BUY THE SINGLES:
https://theplague-au.bandcamp.com/track/festering-in-sickness
https://theplague-au.bandcamp.com/track/spawn-of-monstrosity
https://theplague-au.bandcamp.com/track/effigy-of-the-rotten

THE PLAGUE:
https://www.facebook.com/theplaguesydney