PLAGUESTORM is a studio project brought to us by Sebastian Pastor, which interestingly enough, the basis behind the songs on the album are guest musicians.  The band was birthed in 2014; the first EP and three singles included some of my dearly loved musicians, including non-other than Fabio Bartoletti from FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE. Oh, my blackened, metal heart! "The Mother of all Plagues", their first full-length album, was released October 11, 2019. I absolutely love the various guest artists in here. As far as first full-length albums go this one does not disappoint. The level of production put into this album is on par to awesome. Every part of this is just a piece to a greater whole and this is where the precise production shines through. When you have an album that is this well put together and sounds this good as a result, it lays the groundwork for more of this awesomeness in the future. They even included the lyrics when sending along the album for review, which doesn't happen often. So, thank you for that PLAGUESTORM. But as I said before, when you're this well put together is shows all around.

All is Meant to Deacy - "Through eternal grief/Through euphoric bliss/Death follows with every single step / From your first and last breath / With every breath you take / I will be right by your side / And with every step you make / I will always follow". The macabre poetry makes you want to fall in love with Death a little. Death, the thing that ushers us to the other side. This poetry is set to some epic melodic sounds. Marrying dark poetry and melo-death so beautifully. "Darkness Consumes us all" - While this song starts out with a more progressive sound in vocals and riffs, it still follows suit with prose devoid of light. "I know there is no escape/From these nightmares made flesh".

"Fire Within" - Leading right into a orchestral intro, this is one of my favorite tracks on this album. "Take my soul, my heart, my endless fire within". This song makes me reminiscent of times in my own life that I related with that endless fire within. With many existential connotations here, this is a song that gets to the soul of you. As well, the melody it exits with makes my soul ache with its lovliness. "Man Becomes God" - Depending on one's belief systems, some believe man is God. Others believe we are mere drops of water in the giant ocean of life. Maybe we are both? This song itself begs us to ask these kinds of questions. To awaken and see through the matrix. "Blind... you are the blind, so follow the blind / Think....you cannot think for yourself". These words are set to some hard and fast, very brutal beats. A great song who's message hits the hardest set to music. I, for one, will choose every day to not be blind. The truth is for those who seek.

As a whole, I cannot stress enough how every aspect of this album impressed me. From the way Sebastian Pastor produced it to the package I was sent to study the album with. I hope Sebastian has some more awesome guest musicians for us in the future as well. This album is more than worth the listen. Sit back, crack a beer, and pull up these lyrics and let it play. I feel your experience will be as positive as mine. Enjoy fellow metalheads! Rock on for life.