Evolution can be a tricky thing for a band to get right. Change too much and risk alienating an existing fan base. Or don’t change enough and risk pigeon-holing oneself, or even boring the audience who want to see some growth. Ever since Praise the Plague stepped onto the scene in 2018, they’ve been subtly shaping their intriguing admixture of doom and black metal. Particularly after sophomore The Obsidian Gate saw them commit to wielding in equal measure the grandiosity of the former with the sinister savagery of the latter, the question of where their approach would go next, as they established themselves, was foremost. Would they slide into a doomier, sludgier oppressiveness, or would they charge into a frostier, more overtly blackened fury? After just under three years of waiting, Suffocating in the Current of Time answers this question with satisfyingly assertive and ardent resolution: Praise the Plague have continued their dual aspect ethos, and further deepened and developed it.
Like those that came before it, Suffocating is heavily atmospheric, as well as heavily, er, heavy. But here as with most every aspect of their sound, Praise the Plague elevated the presentation, refining it to a level of polish that belies the surface-level grit. The vibrating resonance of guitars and percussion alike does not muddy the waters, but purifies them, as stalking notes hang ringing in the air (“Astray from Light,” “Throne of Decay”), sending ripples as over the water’s surface. As before, but to a greater degree, the patient crescendos of doom are balanced beautifully with the electric urgency of black metal, leading to stronger, more memorable climaxes and an overall depth that wraps the whole album in an articulate, brilliantly dark aesthetic. From the moody to the malicious, the music moves with cold grace.
Most striking is the progression of Praise the Plague’s compositions—the way they create and release tension, and use evolving melodies to seamlessly tie songs together. Opener “Veil of Tyrants,” and closer “Throne of Decay” both build beautifully through atmospheric echoing notes into crashing, chaotic doom from which tremolos take the refrain and draw it out into soaring, chilling apexes. “The Tide” and “A Serpent’s Tongue” do almost the reverse, centering themselves around rushes of burning, minor-riff-led black metal, before slipping elegantly into swaying dirges where guitars croon a mournful iteration of the theme. The increased dynamism, pulling and pushing tracks through these blackened spikes of urgency and ominous, melancholic marches (“The Tide, “Astray from Light,” “Devourer”) makes for a smooth and shiveringly good listening experience. And the melodies are often simply too gorgeous and slick, and the riffs too gnarly, to resist swaying, and humming along (“Veil of Tyrants,” “Throne of Decay,” “A Serpent’s Tongue”). Even the sole appearance of distorted spoken word that opens “A Serpent’s Tongue” sidesteps cringe and lands on the side of righteously malevolent.1
With everything ebbing and flowing so neatly and satisfyingly along, some of the subtleties are lost, and some sections fade a little into the background in comparison to the standouts. “Astray from Light,” and “Devourer” are less spirited than their companions, and while still displaying excellently crafted blackened doom, are nonetheless not as exciting. The mood created is so powerful that it can be easy to allow the music to pass you by without gripping you as forcefully. When the tempo shifts into a groove that renews the refrain (“The Tide,” “Astray from Light”), a lightning strike of riffery cuts through the gloom (“Veil of Tyrants,” “A Serpent’s Tongue”) or delicately built melancholy surges into explosions of tremolo (“Throne of Decay”) the listener is snapped back to attention. But it’s a shame it was lost at all.
Quibbles aside, Suffocating is a move in an exciting direction for Praise the Plague. More interesting, more melodic, and more exciting than previous outings, and tight to boot, at only 38 minutes. The band’s unique blend of black and doom metal, wrapped up in such a dark and atmospheric package, keeps me coming back repeatedly. Their masterpiece may be still to come, but right now, Suffocating is hitting the spot pretty well.
Rating: Very Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Lifeforce Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 16th, 2024
