Plague Mass – Living Among Meat Eaters LP (Noise Appeal Records / Deaf Cult Records)

Yesterday you had a chance to read about a split release between Plague Mass and Worlds Between Us, released back in 2006. I have another exceptional record by Plague Mass for you, and this time I will be talking about their second full-length, Living Among Meat Eaters. There are many reasons why this material is probably the best one they have ever done. The band somehow established their sound by dosing the right amounts of each genre they incorporated into these songs, so the entire material sounds compact from scratch to finish. As I said in my previous review of this band, Plague Mass sounded more advanced than many contemporaries back then, and you’ll notice traces of modern hardcore music in their tracks.

Of course, Plague Mass aren’t only about hardcore sound. Their music span several complementary music genres that usually work together harmoniously. That’s the case with Living Among Meat Eaters as well. The thoroughly planned experimentations with neo-crust, blackened crust, metalcore, hardcore, and post-hardcore work like a charm in this case, and I can’t think of any other band who did it better than them. However, it seems Living Among Meat Eaters leans much more towards crustcore and metalcore than their previous recordings, and that’s the main reason why this full-length release sounds brilliant from beginning to end. If you’re familiar with their previous releases, you will also notice they incorporated less blackened crust and black metal melodies and harmonies into their music. However, you’ll still notice how influential these genres were on this band when you hear the lead vocalist.

What I adore about Living Among Meat Eaters the most are the riffs. Both guitars burst with catchy, sludgy, heavy, rememberable shreds that will immediately get into your ears. This is maybe the part where the crustcore, metalcore, and hardcore qualities of this band shine the most. There’s no way you’re not going to love their ideas and the way how these guys combined all of these riffs. You’ll also notice a semi-distorted low-end tone lurking right among the guitars, and this material wouldn’t sound so heavy without those fat, chunky, generously distorted basslines. Of course, exceptional drumming is the vital part of this mixture, and Living Among Meat Eaters shines bright with fast-paced rhythmic sequences, continuous splashes over the cymbals, various accentuations, hectic drum fills, and other percussive acrobatics. Each composition carries many mindblowing moments, so you better check out this album, because it stands the test of time. Living Among Meat Eaters is still available on transparent clear vinyl as part of a Plague Mass bundle. Head to Noise Appeal Records for more information about ordering.