Plaguewielder who hail from Steubenville, Ohio have had a fluctuating line-up over the years but have been led throughout their existence by one constant, Guitarist/Vocalist Bryce Seditz. From the research I've undertaken, I see the band are named after the 2001 Darkthrone album of the same name, which is no terrible thing.
Since their formation in 2015 Plaguewielder have put out several releases including 2015's debut Succumb to the Ash, 2018's Surrender to the Void, the 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night' single and Suffering From Self-Inflicted Wounds EP both from 2019, 2021's Covenant Death (which I reviewed for The Sleeping Shaman), 2023's Burning Death EP and October's Bound to the Chain EP and now of course upcoming fourth full-length In Dust & Ash. According to Bryce the record's overarching theme are the stages of grief he went through after his grandmother's passing, respectfully with that in mind let's proceed.
The appropriately named 'Eulogy' opens the album. An instrumental, this is a tender mournful piece with some latter day Opeth style Psychedelic Prog added in for good measure. Its unexpected considering the type of music the band usually play but the fact that its performed as well as this makes it the perfect tribute to a loved one. An exquisite start. 'Spaces' features anguished Vocals and melodic instrumentation drawing comparisons with bands such as Chrome Waves, not entirely coincidental seeing as the band was for a period signed to that band's label Disorder Recordings. Even with the track's faster sounding section the tone is assuredly Post-Black Metal; trve kvltists may struggle but the rest of us will be able to appreciate it. 'Empty Nights' recalls early 90's Megadeth on albums such as Countdown to Extinction and Youthanasia such is its accessibility and I'm not surprised it was chosen as the first single with video in tow. Apologies for raising Chrome Waves again but it appears Plaguewielder have been influenced by the hookier elements of tracks such as 'Gazing into Oblivion' but with the emphasis more on Metal than Shoegaze. A certifiable standout.
'Sadness' is a solid muscular slice of Gothic Metal and much like Paradise Lost and Type O' Negative it has an infectious groove that recalls those bands at their peak. Really strong songwriting and packed full of emotion this is another surefire winner. 'Manifest' brings back the speed reminding one of the musical sophistication of bands such Emperor as well as the eerie vibes of Mayhem's early recordings, a return to more 'traditional' sounds but only just. 'Wallow' is absolutely heart-wrenching with the amount of raw emotion that bleeds from every pore, orifice etc. However even amongst the torment there's still some very cool mid-paced Thrash present, of the kind which Metallica used to be capable of writing. Another catchy number that hooks you in and never lets go. 'Silhouettes' as hinted by the title contains Gothic elements, a direction that some Black Metal bands tend to veer towards when experimenting so that if bands such as Londoners Light of the Morning Star tick your proverbial boxes then like me you'll get a massive kick out of it. In the end all of us turn to 'Ash' and this epic gem appears to recognize this sobering inevitability. Losing a beloved family member five years ago is what made the track so relatable and thus for me the perfect conclusion to the album.
Grief's a hard thing to navigate through but Bryce has managed to construct a near perfect tribute to his late grandmother of which I'm sure she'd be exceptionally proud (R.I.P).
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