From the fine folks at Contagion Records comes another extreme metal band with some serious bark. I’m talking about Depraved Plague, hailing from Cambridge, England and busting to take the world by storm with their debut release Systemic. What you get here is brutal death metal exhibiting that old school touch, but keeping a modern edge to the proceedings and getting straight to the point. The entire album clocks in less than thirty minutes and with a number of quick changing tempos to boot, Depraved Plague manage to make death metal sound engaging again.
Tracks like “Chokehold” and “Endless Torment” pour on the extremity and pound the listener senseless. The grinding assaults and relentless beats of “Degradation” are torturous to the ears, but all in a good way as far I am concerned. I also found a certain amount of catchiness on “Your Final Execution” that captivates your attention earlier on and keeps you wanting more. The most complete song for me on this release though is “Human Revulsion” which manages jackhammer like beats and maniacal breakdowns, and inserting some meaty riffs towards the end of the track; very tasty for me.
Their vocalist Mark barks out every single word and is probably one violent mother fucker, and he manages to keep up the level of intensity on every track. Just wait until you get to “Carnal Rage” and “Rapture in Death” to find how barbaric his vocals can be and he will have you eating out of the palm of his hand. Nothing is kosher here and the rabid flair of each track makes this feel so tumultuous, if not altogether destructive.
Depraved Plague can sound truly crushing in spots, and perhaps it’s surprising how seasoned they sound this early in the game. For such a young band to have this much intensity and exhibit a killer instinct at the same time, is really refreshing to these ears and I hope they continue to find success in future releases. Contagion Records have another winner on their hands and I am pumped for more.
Kenneth Gallant, Editor HMS
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