THE PLAGUE hailing from Sidney, Australia were formed in 2016. They are a traditional Death Metal band inspired by the Swedish Death Metal school. So far, they released one EP and one full-length album. Their sophomore album “Erosion Of Gods” was released via Australian label Brilliant Emperor Records, which has a few Death and Black Metal bands among their current roster. The album has a length of almost 33 minutes. No official video has been released yet.

The album starts with a dark atmospheric, cinematic intro exploding into “Hacked And Butchered”, a fast Death Metal attack with the typical and traditional Swedish chainsaw sound. The growling vocals range between the medium to higher end of the guttural range with a few screams, but also with a few tonal shifts towards deeper lying growls. The riffing is simple, direct, and aggressive. The tempo is fast during the verse and chorus parts with a twist for the break towards a slow and stomping rhythm. “Living Catatonic” has a frantic start and continues with the fast pace. The track has the same textures as “Hacked And Butchered” in terms of tempo and rhythm. The growls are slightly deeper compared to the preceding track, and they include a bloodcurdling scream near the end of the track. The mid-tempo break is very short and simple. “Impulsive Convulsions” starts right with the vocals accompanied by very aggressive riffing. The tempo of the opening tracks is maintained, and the mid-tempo break is once again kept short. Despite the short track, there is sufficient time for a very contributing lead guitar solo, which is the highlight of “Impulsive Convulsions”.

The Death Metal carnage continues with “Incinerated”. Despite starting the verse part at a measured tempo at a head-banging rhythm, it becomes quickly a pummeling at a frantic pace. The mid-tempo break includes slightly more technicality with spine-chilling melodies. “Desolate Wasteland” has a grim start with a dark melodic framework at a slow tempo. Most of the track is either played at mid-tempo or slower, however, fans of fast tracks will not be disappointed, as there is at least a short tempo attack. “Desolate Wasteland” is the track with most twists and turns in tempo and rhythm, while the focus is put on creating blood-freezing melodies. “Rotten, Dried, And Mumified” continues with the darkness and crushing riffing with a lot of double-bass drumming at a stomping rhythm during the first verse part. It does not take long and the track switches abruptly to a crazy pace. Part of the signature sound are the huge screams of vocalist Mike, who gives the album sound an extra dimension.

“Roadside Burial” is introduced with scream right from the abyss, and the pummeling continues. Verse and chorus parts follow the album patterns with the chainsaw guitar sound providing the basis and the vocals on top of it. The song includes a short, simple, and direct mid-tempo break without any technicality. “Entrenched In Decay” starts as mid-tempo track, but quickly transitions into another fast hammering, just interrupted by a very powerful mid-tempo break. The track has more technicality and more twists, breaks in rhythm, and it comes with one of the rare lead guitar solos. The album finishes with the title track, and this is one of the album highlights. It starts with a measured tempo with a pounding rhythm and blood-freezing melodies. It would not be a typical THE PLAGUE song, if there were no frantic parts in it and after a mid-tempo transition, the song is back at fast pace and at hammering mode. However, the title track is a very smart mixture of short periods of aggression at blistering pace and slower parts embedded in a grim melodic framework. The album really ends with a bang.

More than 30 years after the iconic “Left Hand Path” album by ENTOMBED, the Australians THE PLAGUE show that the renowned Swedish Death Metal sound is still alive and buzzing. “Erosion Of Gods” has all the ingredients, traditional Death Metal fans love so much: the pace, the aggression, the directness and simplicity, and of course, the unique guitar sound. The album is well produced. THE PLAGUE create an album that is a 30-minitues hammering and leaves the listener with goosebumps. “Erosion Of Gods” is a massive album and should be part of the collection of every traditional Death Metal fan.