Founded over a decade ago Plague Of The Fallen have always been one of the cornerstones of the metallic underground in Christchurch, New Zealand. Since then, several brutal to brutal small formats in the style of Hate Eternal and Cannibal Corpse have rattled through the airwaves. Now the quartet is daring to release a complete album for the first time with an admittedly rather sparing playing time of just under 26 minutes. And yet what can happen on „Amongst The Rats“ can be heard, is completely convincing.

When the title song begins with guttural aggression following a short intro, the neck rotor rotates on its own. The New Zealanders don’t have to increase the tempo unnecessarily and stay largely in the midfield, but the dissonant elemental force alone makes you feel like you’re being overwhelmed. Immediately followingwards, “The God Of Depravity” stirs a decidedly infernal cauldron, with the finest melodic approaches shining through. You look for catchiness – of course – in vain, because this most minimal decoration ultimately serves as a springboard for the next technically adept hussar ride.

At the other end of the album, “So You Have Chosen Death” reads like a declaration of war, and doesn’t sound much different. The foamy stuttering of the nervous drums and the intricate playing with tech-death standards come well, combining what feels like a high tempo with angry pounding. The contradiction creates a short and rousing steam hammer that continues to intensify. In comparison, “Relentlessly Butchered” seems almost determined, immediately moving forward and repeatedly breaking out of the groove concept suggested. The angry, slightly over-the-top final act is particularly entertaining.

Although Plague Of The Fallen forego fresh musical approaches, their technical brutality doesn’t really require them. On the contrary, the constant unrest on “Amongst The Rats” benefits New Zealanders. From the changing tempo to sometimes contradictory, overlapping parts to the dissonant mid-tempo heaviness, this debut skilfully works on your nerves and also pulls off some really nice steam hammers. Plague Of The Fallen confirm their previous releases with this quite short but extremely entertaining album.

Rating: 8/10

Available from: December 8th, 2023
Available via: Plague Of The Fallen (Blood Blast Distribution)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PlagueoftheFallen

Tags: amongst the rats, brutal death metal, death metal, plague of the fallen, review, tech death

Category: Magazin, Reviews