Lord of Plague – Passage to None (2024)

The first track here must be the first song the band ever composed, because it’s a bad indicator of what the bulk of material on this demo has in store for the listener. After a brief foray into a low-tech take on early Morbid Angel, Lord of Plague then launch into two pieces that bring to mind the churning music of Floridian acts such as Monstrosity, Malevolent Creation, or Resurrection.

Thankfully, unlike many bands that attempt this style, Lord of Plague manages to convey some sense of a journey in their music, giving these songs a purpose other than imitating the past. Twisting, tremolo riffing gives way to staccato stops that blossom into fully formed melodies before decaying into a more halted mid-pace, as if reflecting on the preceding conflict.

The cycle of these two sections is then built up into a climax which recapitulates the introduction of the piece. These guys could perhaps focus on more fully working out the deviations from the main themes of their songs in order to create a more vast soundscape in future recordings, but this a strong first effort.

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27 thoughts on “Lord of Plague – Passage to None (2024)”

  1. Crionics says:

    Terrible band logo, stupid band name.

    1. Walter says:

      Would it be better if they called themselves Lord of All Fevers and Plague?

    2. pope Benedict - speaking from Hell says:

      yeah and the review sucks ass too

    3. johnny Acid says:

      I acutally know a living breathing woman named Ponder.

  2. General Erik says:

    Exercising a pithiness now both rarely seen and sorely missed, the reviewer carefully separates and then dissects this album’s manifold layers and characteristics. Some are apparently better or more remarkable than others, yet c’est la vie and all that. Such weary resignation leads us to also ponder both the purpose (if any) of life and of this quite frankly inconsequential review. If only Bratt could release those two simple and immutable principles: firstly, that death metal is a zero sum game; and second, that you can’t polish a turd. Better luck next time Bratt: 1.5 horns.

    1. Corporal Shartbox says:

      Penis butt.

    2. Power is a zero-sum game. Same is true of market leadership. Hierarchy occurs naturally.

    3. Anarcho-Hyperborean Induced Ulcerative Colitis says:

      Tbf you have to have a pretty low iq to understand classic extreme metal

      1. Kyle says:

        Dude, what a coincidence! Everything I don’t like is stupid too.

      2. ## Reactionary Metal ## says:

        Low IQs didn’t really make it past hairspray, anabolics and “feelings”. They can’t even recall there was more than mosh-pits, poseurs and rockers-demand-redistribution stuff from back then.

        1. Allan Fischer says:

          Your average listener wants something they can hum along to.

          1. IP Sørensen says:

            You mean like the Oscar Mayer weiner song?

        2. Ingenious says:

          Fuckin shut up

    4. Doug says:

      you have a mustache, no?

  3. George Droid says:

    It’s inoffensive but a bit of a Soulside Journey copycat simplified through the lens of Massacre.

    1. Fine music, but... says:

      It just occurred to me: “Soulside Journey” is SUCH a gay name.

  4. Fart king says:

    Brett, do you see a close artistic kinship between Atrocity’s Todensgesucht (or whatever) and Oppressor’s Solstice of Oppression? I’ll hang up and listen.

    1. High Speed Reality Denial says:

      Absolutely not haha

      1. Fart king says:

        I asked Brett. You don’t know anything. I’ll hang up and listen again.

        1. Diet Spite says:

          My mom would probably think they sound similar

    2. They are from the same era when death metal wanted to prove it was not illiterate of music technique and theory, a few years before the jazz fusion guys took over from metal and prog thinking in that area.

  5. Rectal Nectar says:

    Kind of offtopic, but I finally realized metal-archives reviews are untrustworthy, as Stormblast got an average 65% score. While the album may be a bit too emotional, it’s still a classic from the good old days.

    Some moron even put a 13% score there with “Still don’t get it”. What’s not to get get, it’s straightforward beautiful music, do you want overproduced tech-deaf-prog crap up your ass or what? Because those how these idiots on that site strike me.

    1. Bonga Enjoyer says:

      Metal Archives has the worst reviews on the planet. In fact, a good way to find some decent albums is looking for stuff with horrible average scores on the Metal Archive reviews. Total fuckin losers with horrible taste write reviews at that site.

    2. Heracles says:

      Enthrone, Spiritual & Puritanical are all leagues better.

      Only high-T lifters can comprehend this though. Wimps will complain about them being too catchy, too chuggy, muh carnival keyboards and clean singing etc

      1. Anal Feltching Aficionado says:

        Oh I agree! You can dance to those.

        1. Heracles says:

          This website and its predecessors have all been allergic to fun. Dancing is based and Dionysian. Even I, mighty Heracles, enjoy dancing.

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