BIOGRAPHY
Formed in 2007, A Plague Upon Us has taken Pennsylvania by storm with their explosive stage presence and a unique sound unmatched by any other act. Since their inception, they have shared the stage with bands from numerous record labels and have played hundreds of shows in PA, NY, OH, NJ, WV, MD, and DE.
In 2008 they were featured on “Back Ta Basics Records Down for the Core 2008” compilation cd.
In 2009 they were featured on the 2009 season finale of The Underground TV, which aired on Fox 8 and ABC 23.
In 2010 they released their self-titled EP which they recorded at Zaring Productions Studio.
In 2011 they headlined a week-long tour sponsored by the Keep a Breast Foundation across Pennsylvania and Ohio, and released their follow-up EP “In Witness of an Execution” which they recorded with Doug White at Watchmen Studios in New York. The EP quickly reached #1 on the daily and weekly metal charts on Roadrunner Records SignMeTo website and stayed at number 1 for over 2 weeks, after which they appeared in Roadrunner Records weekly blog.
“On the Metal charts, our new #1 band (all the way from #14) is A Plague Upon Us, who are definitely gonna sound like a plague upon your ears if you're old enough to legally drink. If, on the other hand, you're a teenager just itching to get your first neck tattoo and obsessed with bands like Chelsea Grin, The Acacia Strain and other breakdown-heavy, ultra-downtuned acts, you'll love them. They've got the crushingly heavy riffs, the weedly-deedly guitar solos, the dual vocals (growl vs. shriek) and lyrics about wanting to kick your ass. They're good at what they do. Welcome to the horse race, kids.”
In 2012 they released a video for “In Witness to an Execution” which was directed by Seth Cooper, manager for The Bunny, The Bear (Victory Records) and returned to Watchmen Studios to record their self-titled 10 song full length album which received numerous positive reviews.
Metal Local:
http://metallocal.com/a-plague-upon-us-pa/
A Plague Upon Us is a 4 piece Death Metal band, formed in early 2007. They just released their self-titled full length album in 2012 and it definitely receives the Metal Local stamp of approval. They were nice enough to send over the full album for Review/Stream, so definitely be sure to stop by their Facebook page and let them know what YOU think as well.
That said, I’ve had a couple weeks to let this Album really sink in and I couldn’t be more impressed with what these guys have put together. I’m honestly having a hard time finding a flaw, starting from the first track, “To Construct a Nightmare”. Vocals are amazing – highs and lows are both on point and the Guitars and Drums are even better… While this is clearly a Death Metal band at its core, you get a little bit of everything with this album. Tough to pick a favorite, but the songs I keep going back to are “And the Kingdoms Fall” (3) and “Hostility Among Peasants” (4).
•“And the Kingdoms Fall” just absolutely fucking crushes from start to finish, with a bit of a Melodic influence. To top it off, there’s even an awkwardly impressive keyboard appearance in the intro & outro that grows on me with every listen.
•“Hostility Among Peasants” is just as insane, with everything going full speed for much of the track. Hell of a job with the back and forth with the Highs/Lows and the Guitars are fucking amazing. That said, there are honestly so many good songs on this album, I suggest listening to them all!
Our Pennsylvania Metal Admin, Eric is a big fan of these boys as well, adding:
“A Plague Upon Us is brutal as hell, with Fast paced riffs combined with leave your feet breakouts! Easily one of my favorite Metal Bands in the state. “
– Eric (PA Admin / NE Metal Local Manager)
Other highlights are “Malice Aforethought (8) and the final track, “Regret and Aftermath”. Honestly, if you haven’t yet listened to this album from start to finish – YOU NEED TO NOW!
Pig Squeals and Breakdowns:
http://www.pigsquealsandbreakdowns.com/2013/01/a-plague-upon-us-plague-upon-us-review.html
Genre: Technical Deathcore / Death Metal
A Plague Upon Us's self-titled debut album is a 10 track, heavy hitting, technical, fast album. It keeps you wanting more, and it delivers that "more" you want. The introduction, "To Construct A Nightmare," alone sucks you into their vortex of brutal deathcore, and keeps you stuck there for well over 20 minutes. Dave Robbins's vocals on the album are fantastic, he has the raspy lows of most death metal bands, and his highs are fantastic. The guitar work by Christian Long, and Dave, is also spectacular in the songs that have more technical work, like the songs "Hostility Among Peasants," "Quarantined And Crucified," and "Eradication By The Destroyer." Let's not forget the drum work of Mark Huffman, which provides the ample noise for hard hitting breakdowns, like in the track "And the Kingdom Fell."
This album is something you do not listen to only once, you listen to it over and over again because it is that, damn, good. After listening to it well over six times in a sitting, I have to say my favorite song on the album is "And the Kingdom Fell." It provides everything you could want out of a technical deathcore band. There is technical guitar work in one solo, a breakdown with heavy bass pedal work, death metal lows that everyone loves, and beautiful piano in the intro and outro. The only gripe I have with the album is that I think it could have been better produced; the production quality isn't the best it could be.
Album Score: 4.8 / 5
Read more...