When approaching a self-produced album by a band associated with black metal, I rarely expect it to have a sound as clean and as solid as the sound featured on Against the Plague’s debut LP, The Architecture of Oppression. Had previous knowledge of said album not existed, I would have sworn that I had been listening to a professionally produced album from a veteran band. Granted, Against the Plagues is comprised of musicians who have been in the metal scene for quite some time and who clearly know what they are doing. This album is more musically structured and mature than I would have ever expected going into it. These are talented musicians who are (above all else) incredibly focussed and dedicated.
Every instrument on The Architecture of Oppression is perfectly represented by the production. The drum work is meticulous and precise, and it is impressive from both a rhythmic standpoint and a technical perspective. There happens to be a large keyboard presence on this album, but the keyboard use isn’t as overwhelming or flamboyant as certain other symphonic metal bands. Granted, it is a large aspect of the music, and it certainly makes it’s dent on the album; on more than a few occasions, the guitars will take back seat while the keyboards drive the music. The music typically doesn’t suffer from this. Contrary to many failed attempts (by numerous metal acts) to beneficially incorporate keyboards into a metal album, Against the Plagues’ keyboard use only adds to the accessibility.
With members coming from many different ends of the metal spectrum, it isn’t an easy task to put your finger on one concrete influence. However, the easiest comparison one could make would be a Dimmu Borgir one. Vocalist Logan Perez sounds like a Shagrath clone numerous times throughout the album, but he refrains from relying solely on this vocal technique and uses a wide range of more guttural, death metal style vocals. The music is also similar to Dimmu Borgir’s in the sense that it is very grand. The music is heavily weighed towards the black metal side of metal, but certain obvious death metal influences manage to shine through the haze. The drum work, for instance is very similar to many of today’s more popular death metal acts, and the riffing is very intense and intricate more often than not which lends itself to the death metal side.
I’ve never been one to equate originality with quality. Against the Plagues doesn’t exactly do anything that hasn’t already been done. Their sound, while more mature and serious than many of their contemporaries, is a familiar one. However, they do play this sound exceptionally well and even improve upon foibles created by past bands. There is a nice atmosphere to many of these songs, usually generated by the keyboards and how they play off of the guitars which is an element missing from the more popular black metal acts of today.
While a black metal project at heart, certain tracks allow a death metal influence to overpower the black sound. <b>Renegade Manifesto</b>, for example is comparable to modern day Behemoth for its high level of blasting and intensity. During the same song, the band slows the tempo down to focus less on force and more on atmosphere. This is a perfect representation of the band’s general sound and their ability to never allow a song to become stale or repetitive.
Against the Plagues may be a young band, but it is comprised of members who know exactly what they’re doing. Their music works on so many different levels. It has a sound that is familiar enough to base a successful career in the metal community off of, but manages to retain enough artistic integrity to gain them credibility in the long run. I can’t imagine what metal-inclined record label wouldn’t salivate at the thought of having this band as part of their roster. You’re going to hear from these guys again, that’s for sure.
Kevin Roy
