RSS Feed


WINDS OF PLAGUE
Resistance

Century Media (2013)
Rating: 6.5/10

California’s Winds Of Plague may be associated most closely with metalcore, but much like their brethren in The Black Dahlia Murder and The Red Chord, their music takes just as many cues from the extremities of death and black metal as it does the “core” aspect of what they offer. Resistance is their fifth album of balls out metal and, in many ways, their angriest sounding release to date.

The album opens with the symphonic keyboard intro ‘Open The Gates’, whose last section turns into a fist-pounding demand to “open the gates of hell”. From there the twin guitars take over on the excellent ‘Say Hello To The Undertaker’. While the song is a facebreaker for sure, it’s creepy keyboard filler and haunting piano interludes keep it interesting and the twin guitar leads that pop in and out are cool as hell.

Another similar moment is the powerful ‘Good Ol’ Fashion Bloodbath’. I was sort of expecting full blast tomfoolery on this one when I read it’s title but instead the band deliver a dynamic tune that bounces, circles, and proclaims the gospel of fist pounding breakdowns damn near perfectly.

Winds Of Plague bring the hardcore breakdowns plenty of times throughout the album and in that way Resistance is very similar to the band’s other releases. The devastating, chanting monk backed break during ‘One Foot In The Grave’ is one of the better offerings as well. It ends the song in a very Pantera way, leading well into the groovier ‘Time To Reap’ that continues the fist slamming Pantera comparisons.

The main problem with Resistance is that the song structures are so similar that it becomes almost predictable. The band blend the genres together well but you can set your clock to the breakdowns, twin leads, atmospheric keyboard pieces, and the alternating death metal and jock metal vocals in each song. Really, it’s a good problem to have if you are trying to keep in line with a certain sound but, personally, I feel like the songs tend to blend together by the time you get about three-fourths of the way through the album.

Overall, this is an intense, if predictable, album that will appeal to fans of any of the bands mentioned here as well as bands like Motionless In White and Born Of Osiris.

Mark Fisher

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share