PLAGUE WEAVER is an ambitious outfit that tries to unite lots of disparate styles of extreme metal, but is not quite able to pull off what they’re looking for.
It’s a two man outfit that has an “everything but the kitchen sink” approach to death and black metal. They have the playing ability for sure, but the songwriting is kind of erratic and results in songs that are good in some parts but rather tedious in others. The first song ‘Nothing Is Sacred’ has a kind of Greek black metal vibe in the style of ROTTING CHRIST and VARATHRON going on, which comes across well. This track is laid out well and increases in tempo. ‘Laying Fire’ is a jumbled mess, with a tiring mass of screaming and growling vocals that never lets up hovering over things like a wet blanket. There are several points where they needed to ease off on the ever present screams to let the song breathe.
This pendulum like swing between effective and uneffective defines the album. ‘Upheaval And Arson’ is one of the best tracks, with a great cold black metal riff propelling it along. Doom raises its dreary head on ‘…Of Quivering Doves’ and ‘In Exitium Caeli’ and they do a pretty fair job of it, especially on the latter tune. The leads are kind of sad and mournful throughout, again bringing a kind of Greek feel. But ‘Deicidal Usurper’ is another mish-mash of a cut with tedious screams.
There is great talent in PLAGUE WEAVER and a definite vision of cold, classy extremity, but they haven’t gotten the handle on it completely yet. A work in progress to keep an eye on…
Review By: Dr. Abner Mality
PLAGUE WEAVER
Ascendant Blasphemy
Independent
3 / 6