(written by Islander)
As long-time visitors here well know, we’ve been following the continually evolving music of Ohio’s Plaguewielder for many years. Most recently (late last summer), we premiered an eye-catching video for an excellent new Plaguewielder song, “Blood of the Astral Gate,” the first single from a forthcoming release entitled Year of the Plague.
Plaguewielder’s current plan is to continue disclosing singles this year leading up to the release of Year of the Plague as an album near the end of the year, which will be distributed through the band’s independent new label Mourning Shroud.
What we’re bringing you today is the second single from the album, “Son of the Serpent, Son of the Whore“, and it arrives just in time to scorn the coming Easter Sunday.
Here is what Plaguewielder have told us (and now you) about this new song:
“Son of the serpent, Son of the whore” leans into blasphemous and symbolic lineage. The serpent is traditionally tied to knowledge, temptation, and rebellion. The “whore” is the corruption of purity & rejection of sacred normalities. This is an innovation of transformation. A self serving power of true will. It is the ascent of the individual as both creator and destroyer of their own path.
In the single we premiered last summer we saw the band descending further into the spiral of post-black metal, creating a multi-faceted experience bursting with light but also steeped in shadow, a groovesome pulse-pounder and head-spinner but also a channel of rage and haunting darkness.
This new song is also a revolving gem that reveals changing facets as it turns — varying stylistic ingredients, varying moods. At times it’s elegant, pensive, and seductive, but at other times it’s furious. It too is haunting and soul-stricken, but also burly and blood-rushing.
The song opens and closes in striking fashion, with brightly ringing and rippling guitars and keys, musing bass tones, and gasping words, creating a moodily introspective aura — but a rasping and swirling riff, deathly growls, booming beats, and heavily throbbing undercurrents turn the music in a more menacing and desolate direction.
The changes continue. The riffing coldly slashes and frantically quivers; the drums hammer, tumble, and blast; the music swells with dark symphonic power and savagely thrusts; the vocals snarl, howl, and scream; a gripping guitar solo seems to dismally wail and extravagantly cry out; and at the end, a sense of poignant wistfulness returns.
Credit for the band photo and cover art goes to Heavy Eyes DIY. The new song is available today on Bandcamp (where you can also find the lyrics) and streaming services.
BANDCAMP:
https://plaguewielderoh.bandcamp.com/track/son-of-the-serpent-son-of-the-whore
https://Plaguewielderohio.bandcamp.com
SPOTIFY:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3BjRdkZJlMHaKfGbOHATN1
APPLE MUSIC:
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/plaguewielder/640872831