THE PLAGUE hailing from Sidney, Australia were formed in 2016. They are a traditional Death Metal band inspired by the Swedish Death Metal school. Prior to their debut full-length album, they released one EP in 2017. "Within Death" was released via Australian label Bitter Loss Records which has a few Death Metal bands in their current roster. The album has a length of almost 34 minutes.

When I listened to "Within Death" for the first time, I felt it was a travel back to the good old times when bands like ENTOMBED and DISMEMBER were at their very best. THE PLAGUE deliver an album with a sound that reminds very much on those bands. Most songs on the album are fast and straight forward. The opener "Mind Eraser" starts with a cinematic sample before the onslaught begins: fast pace, aggressive guitar riffs, crunching bass lines, and the growling vocals at the medium end of the guttural range with occasional higher notes and screams. "Mind Eraser" is only one example of the kick-in-your-face approach of THE PLAGUE. "Torment The Living" and "Spawn Of Monstrosity" are both fairly short songs but they maintain the pace and aggression. "Torment The Living" starts with a Thrash Metal inspired lead guitar solo and includes a short mid-tempo break. The drumming of Dan drives the song forward and we hear the first blast-beat sections of the album. With "Spawn Of Monstrosity", the shortest track with less than 90 seconds was released on video, and the YouTube link is given below.

"Effigy Of The Rotten" has a bit of a gloomier sound with a dark down-tempo intro before it starts hammering with flesh-ripping guitar riffs straight from hell, double-bass and blast-beat sections. The short mid-tempo break and the lead guitar solo adds extra darkness of the song. With "Hand Of Greed" and "Drones" there are a couple of mid-tempo tracks "Within Death". "Hand Of Greed" has some nice head-banging rhythm with catchy guitar riffing especially during the chorus section, and the lead guitar during the break is blood-freezing. "Drones" might be a good example to point to the growling vocals of Mike. The medium gutturals as well as some of the higher notes sound very well with the right portion of aggression, but when it comes to some of the screams, they do not really fit to the sound of the album.

"Slave To Addiction" and "Dismal Solitude" have both a bit more of a complex texture. "Slave To Addiction" starts with all guns blazing and transitions to an extended mid-tempo part with a few twists and distortions in rhythm. Somehow it transitions back to the blistering pace and it concludes with a hammering blast-beat section. "Dismal Solitude" has frequent transitions between faster sections, mid-tempo parts, and doom-laden down-tempo sections. One of my personal highlights is the final song "Festering In Sickness" because of the perfect mix between pummeling sections and dark, gloomy, and atmospheric down-tempo section. It is a perfect song to end the album with.

"Within Death" is an excellent Death Metal album which follows the pathway of some European Death Metal all-time giants. THE PLAGUE do not re-invent the Death Metal wheel, they stick to their inspirations and they follow a no nonsense approach with their sound. The songwriting is clearly inspired by bands like DISMEMBER but adding a few Thrash Metal vibes to it. The album is well produced. Fans who love traditional Death Metal, will dig this album and it will be exciting to see THE PLAGUE performing their new songs on stage. "Within Death" should be part of the collection of every Death Metal fan.