A four-piece sludge band based in Staunton, Virginia, Diseased Earth have recently shared a compilation of singles recorded throughout the global pandemic, fittingly titled ‘Welcome the Plague Years’. A titanic nine track release that has been called “an onslaught of utter carnage,” the record is a catacysmic slice of high octane sounds that are intense, engaging, and utterly relentless.
Experimenting with different sounds, and refusing to be pigeonholed by the traditional doom and sludge metal trappings, Diseased Earth have delivered a caustic and unyielding release, working hard to craft a dynamic response to the lockdowns, struggles, and chaos that the pandemic created. Charging through riff heavy tracks like ‘Covern of Leeches’, the heartfelt ‘In A Deathless Light’, and the erratic, explosive ‘New Jack Cocaine Binge’.
Alongside the epidemic, the album also boldly tackles topics such as the death of a relationship, loss and grief, and abusive relationships, carving out a powerful call to arms that breaks barriers and never shys away from a difficult moment. On one of the standout and more chaotic tracks on the album, the band have even shared a dedication to notorious wrestler New Jack, channeling his no holds barred style into an equally devastating track.
Speaking about the album with Breathing The Core, Diseased Earth shared, “Our album ‘Welcome The Plague Years’ was our response to the global pandemic. We worked hard throughout it to write and release these seven songs as singles and then bring them together for a compilation album. The artwork was inspired by the ancient plague doctors who treated the dying and dead, looking like human sized carrion vultures.”
A brilliant introduction to Diseased Earth for newcomers, ‘Welcome the Plague Years’ is a raucous blend of devastating cuts, stitched together with spiked elements of old school death metal, sharp, sludy vocals, and brash, memorable moments. You can stream the album above via Spotify, or find it on Diseased Earth’s Bandcamp page as a digital download.
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