photos by John Malley
Invisible Oranges is today hosting the exclusive premiere of “Unholy Black Satanic War Metal,” by Seattle-based blackened death metal band PLAGUE BEARER, as they prepare to release their Summoning Apocalyptic Devastation debut LP on Nameless Grave Records.
Born on the wings of pestilence out of a thirty-year slumber, PLAGUE BEARER is primarily known as a primitive blackened Satanic brother long-running act Drawn And Quartered. The band has produced a string of underground demos and EPs over the years but never committed to a definitive full-length until now. Summoning Apocalyptic Devastation delivers a devastating triple-pronged vocal assault supported by brutal melodic riffing and pummeling drums heralding the end of this pathetic existence.
The production of Summoning Apocalyptic Devastation is clear without being sterile, allowing every instrument to freely breath and speak. Guitars, bass, and vocals were self-engineered at K.S. Kuciemba’s home studio The Plague Pit, while drums were recorded with Jon Schluckebier at Radioactive Recording. Mixing duties were handled by Andrew Lee (Ripped To Shreds) who contributed a guest solo on “Rise Of The Goat,” the album was mastered by Loic Fontaine of Krucyator Productions, and the record was completed with cover art by Thomas Westphal/Necromaniac and layout by Obscure Visions.
With “Unholy Black Satanic War Metal,” Invisible Oranges writes, “…this evil, brutal band summons some apocalyptic and catchy riffwork… Black metal (and blackened death metal by proxy) doesn’t need to be fancied up to be good, and Plague Bearer’s adherence to the old, decrepit, and songwriting-forward is simply the best.”
Stream PLAGUE BEARER’s “Unholy Black Satanic War Metal” first through Invisible Oranges RIGHT HERE.
Summoning Apocalyptic Devastation will be released on LP, CD, and digitally through Nameless Grave Records on March 3rd. Find preorders at the label’s webshop HERE and Bandcamp where “Antichristian Inquisition” and “Defiled By Sodomy” are streaming HERE.
PLAGUE BEARER in its most primordial form created death metal demos in 1993 and 1994, but lineup changes resulted in a rebranding to Drawn And Quartered in 1996. Nevertheless, guitarist K.S. Kuciemba (Drawn And Quartered, Draghkar, Serpent Rider) was determined to keep the Satanic flame alive, slowly amassing simpler, eviler blackened riffs with partner H (Drawn And Quartered, ex-Vetus Obscurum), releasing a demo in 2001 and EP in 2006 with Nuclear Winter Records. In 2017, K and H reunited with longtime ally T on drums, along with vocalist Nihilist (ex-Abazagorath, ex-Lord Gore, ex-Thy Infernal), to infect the Pacific Northwest with live rituals.
While Summoning Apocalyptic Devastation is laden with the legacies of its storied members, it never loses its individuality. Existing beyond the stylistic trappings of death and black metal, PLAGUE BEARER raises a middle finger to the modern scene. Evil is the only way! The album is a must-hear for fans of Drawn And Quartered, Imprecation, Thy Infernal, and Fallen Christ.
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