Name - Plague Rider
Album - Genetic Devoloution demo
Year - 2011
Label - Self Released
8.5/10
Plague Rider came smashing onto the UK metal scene in 2011, formed by members of now defunct North East thrashers Cyborg and grind nuts Rat Faced Bastard, and already have managed to build up a good reputation for playing some high quality thrash.
Plague Rider play a brand of technical death thrash not unlike early Atheist or Consuming Impulse-era Pestilence, complete with the occasional prominent bass lines and strange time signatured frantic thrash riffs. The band range from mid paced speeds to breakneck violence, as vocalist Jamie Brown barks pure venom into the microphone , with a voice like a Geordie Martin Van Drunen.
Guitarists Jake Bielby and Dan Alderson repeatedly lay down riff after sweet technical riff, pummelling the listener in a way few bands manage today, and with the energy that so few bands are showing in the metal scene today.
The rhythm section of the band are rounded out by bassist Lee Anderson, who while buried in the mix for parts of the demo, but does shine through on other occasions bringing a sound reminiscent of Roger Patterson on Piece of Time, not taking over the music but adding to it in its own unique way rather than simply following the guitar for the whole song.
Drummer Matthew Henderson does a brilliant job keeping up with the madness, providing some unusual backing time signatures for the rest of the music, and adding his own excellent fills to the music to keep it interesting.
The standout song of the demo is definitely the title track, flowing through time signatures and alternating between a blistering opening, slower foreboding moments and mid paced death metal verses. That isn’t to say the other three songs aren’t brilliant in their own right too, the entire demo leaves you wanting more which is a good sign for a first release.
The only downside to this recording is recording quality, with vocals pushed so high in the mix as to occasionally drown out the guitar, and bass pushed right to the back of the recording becoming inaudible for a few parts of the demo, although this is excusable as it is indeed a first demo recording from a young band.
Plague Riders demo can be downloaded for free here:
Album - Genetic Devoloution demo
Year - 2011
Label - Self Released
8.5/10
Plague Rider came smashing onto the UK metal scene in 2011, formed by members of now defunct North East thrashers Cyborg and grind nuts Rat Faced Bastard, and already have managed to build up a good reputation for playing some high quality thrash.
Plague Rider play a brand of technical death thrash not unlike early Atheist or Consuming Impulse-era Pestilence, complete with the occasional prominent bass lines and strange time signatured frantic thrash riffs. The band range from mid paced speeds to breakneck violence, as vocalist Jamie Brown barks pure venom into the microphone , with a voice like a Geordie Martin Van Drunen.
Guitarists Jake Bielby and Dan Alderson repeatedly lay down riff after sweet technical riff, pummelling the listener in a way few bands manage today, and with the energy that so few bands are showing in the metal scene today.
The rhythm section of the band are rounded out by bassist Lee Anderson, who while buried in the mix for parts of the demo, but does shine through on other occasions bringing a sound reminiscent of Roger Patterson on Piece of Time, not taking over the music but adding to it in its own unique way rather than simply following the guitar for the whole song.
Drummer Matthew Henderson does a brilliant job keeping up with the madness, providing some unusual backing time signatures for the rest of the music, and adding his own excellent fills to the music to keep it interesting.
The standout song of the demo is definitely the title track, flowing through time signatures and alternating between a blistering opening, slower foreboding moments and mid paced death metal verses. That isn’t to say the other three songs aren’t brilliant in their own right too, the entire demo leaves you wanting more which is a good sign for a first release.
The only downside to this recording is recording quality, with vocals pushed so high in the mix as to occasionally drown out the guitar, and bass pushed right to the back of the recording becoming inaudible for a few parts of the demo, although this is excusable as it is indeed a first demo recording from a young band.
Plague Riders demo can be downloaded for free here:
Plague Rider - Genetic Devolution
So you have no excuse not to listen.
Most definitely a band to watch for the future.
