PLAGUEMACE
Reptilian Warlords NAPALM
Danish death metal newcomers bring the filth and the fury
Yet another new death metal band to get excited about, Plaguemace get everything right on Reptilian Warlords. The Danes are avowedly old school, with a penchant for riffs that scrape and churn like Obituary or early Grave. Lethally effective, utilising an imperious mid-tempo, they fill songs like Carnivore and Impenetrable Leather with bulky, primitive grooves and berserker energy. Cavedweller’s Soliloquy is a monstrous piece of filth-ridden songcraft, with a tar-thick atmosphere that wrings pints of liquid horror from some of this year’s heaviest riffs. Bolstered by a production that expertly balances foulness and force, Ambrosia is particularly stunning. A suppurating, blackened sprawl, it adds dark depth to an already deliriously heavy and twisted debut. Bonus hails are awarded for songtitles like Cannibalicious and gleefully eye-popping artwork.