Experience the apocalypse with Praise the Plague.
Formed in 2017 in Germany, the band comprising Robert Carmosin (vocals), Marcel Martin (guitar), Benjamin Linz (bass), Sascha Bühl (drums) and Christoph Macht (guitar) continues to unveil its universe with Suffocating in the Current of Time, its third album.
The darkness opens slowly with Veil of Tyrants, a highly melancholic first composition that eventually ignites with a howl and abrasive saturation, while keeping its haunting approach. The heavy sound leads up to a second explosion of fury, where Black Metal influences are finally expressed at full speed thanks to sharp leads, but The Tide quickly takes over to place its impressive riffs beneath the oppressive vociferations. The mix becomes more vivid and unhealthy as the riffs accelerate, but it also knows how to bewitch us with a soothing clear sound before returning to heaviness, just as on Astray From Light, which first crushes us very slowly before returning to faster chaos while retaining an ethereal dynamic in the leads. A Serpent’s Tongue then appears after a short pause, revealing the hazy tones of its introductory sample, followed by the musicians’ martial yet dissonant rhythm through raw patterns that lead us to Devourer, the shortest track on this album. The song wastes no time in laying down its veil of grating tones and furious vocal eruptions, but is soon overtaken by Throne of Decay, the final track that gradually builds up its dark, ominous atmosphere before injecting its suffocating, pessimistic saturation, followed by the vocal parts that make the mix ever more hellish right up to the last second.
Oppression takes on a new meaning with Praise the Plague. In addition to crushing us with pachydermic rhythms, the band skilfully adds its melancholy and chilling influences, making Suffocating in the Current of Time an unforgettable slice of darkness.
90/100