Info
- Band(s): Plague Bearer
- Label(s): Nameless Grave Records
- Release Format(s): 12" vinyl, CD
- Release Year: 2023
- Review Date: April 20, 2023
- Author(s): FelixS
Plague Bearer is a band that was formed all the way back to 1992 and released two demos in the first half of the 90’s. Then, in 1994, the band changed their name to Drawn And Quartered and went on to gain moderate fame amongst those who lurked deep enough into the Death Metal scene for them to see. But while Drawn And Quartered started to write new material for their second album, both Kelly Kuciemba and Herb Burke decided to resurrect Plague Bearer to then co-exist with Drawn And Quartered, but with a distinctly different sound to both bands.
But while Drawn And Quartered remained quite prolific and clearly remained to enjoy the pair’s main focus, Plague Bearer recorded and released two demos and an EP since the band’s reformation in 1999 – not counting the two compilations from 2018. That makes ‘Summoning Apocalyptic Devastation’ the band’s debut album. Finally, you can say, arriving just 31 years since the band’s inception.
Everyone who laid an ear to Drawn And Quartered in the past, knows the band’s dedication to dark and thundering Death Metal, not all too far removed from a band like Immolation. To this day, the band is faithfully sticking to the chosen path, with that being safe to say that 2018’s ‘The One Who Lurks’ is perhaps the best the band had released in a very long time. It is then quite a turnaround to listen to ‘Summoning Apocalyptic Devastation’, which has indeed quite a unmistakably different sound. While it also shares a good bit of Death Metal it also clearly has a very recognizable Black Metal vibe to it, resulting in something that indeed finds itself in between both genres. A rather wild nature of versatility, with some slightly chaotic Angelcorpse-like rhythms and screaming guitars makes sure you will not be mistake Plague Bearer for Drawn And Quartered. Also quite different is the much less heavy guitar sound and a slight Thrashy vibe to it, with the band’s current sound nearing that of Possessed on their ‘Beyond The Gates’ LP (and perhaps ‘The Eyes Of Horror’ 12” as well). All this gives this debut album a certain primal sound which certainly adds to the authenticity of the music. The icing on the cake are the raw and aggressive vocals, savage and brutal.
So the feeling and intentions are all in order. But is it also a good album? In any case, it’s certainly not a bad album, but I think I’d also venture to say that after 31 years, I expected something more than this. The album does grow as the number of listens grows, but it’s not an album that leaves a very convincing impression to which it’s easy to refer: it’s hard to point out what exactly is the musical added value of ‘Summoning Apocalyptic Devastation’. By no means a punishment to put it on and listen to the full 38 minutes, but I doubt I will return to it very regularly.
Plague Bearer
- Country: USA
- Style: Black Metal, Death Metal
- Links: Bandcamp, Spotify
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Nameless Grave Records
- Style: Black Metal, Death Metal, Other
- Links: Homepage, Instagram, Bandcamp
