PRAISE THE PLAGUE is a five piece Blackened Doom Metal band from Berlin, Germany. They've been active since 2017 and have put out two recordings, a full-length album in 2018 called "Antagonist" and an EP released on September 13th of this year, appropriately titled "Antagoist II".

Being only an EP, "Antagonist II" is a mere two-track release clocking in at a total of thirteen minutes and fifty-four seconds. The band bill themselves as a Blackened Doom Metal band, which, in this case, offers a healthy scoop of slow, doom filled, Iommi-esque riffs, covered with a perfect combination of black shrieking vocals and guttural growls that make the listener feel like they're on a literal highway to hell. But since it's still doom, the highway is at a leisurely pace.

Despite the short run-time, the release packs a power punch with the opening blackened death/doom track "Torment" filled with shrieks and tremolo riffing. The blast beats come in early and the track takes off on a near seven-minute journey that does not over-stay it's welcome. The second and final, "Woe" leans heavier on the doom side of the coin with slow building riffs and less blast beats.

As a cohesive release, "Antagonist II", is a fantastic sampler of what this band is capable of. It's made me want to go back through and take a look at what's been previously released. I'm looking forward to seeing what they craft in the future. Both tracks present offer a spooky vibe that is fitting for this time of the year, some instrumentals on the record felt like they would be at home in an Alfred Hitchcock film. It's exactly what you would hope for in a Blackened Doom Metal record. My only gripe with the EP is that it's too short. I'm greedy and I want more. To me, it would make more sense to have this release be a single with a b-side to preview an upcoming record. Especially since the title leads the listener to believe this is a sequel to the prior full-length release of "Antagonist". So far in the band's history, there's only been a one-year gap between releases. I hope this is indication that another release is soon on the horizon with more to offer from these talented musicians.