Album Review: Believers Punishment (Extended Version)

Plagueditch is an industrial metal band from New Plymouth that has played around the motu bringing their special blend of intense dark rock and harsh digitally enhanced industrial noise. Although the band began technically as a solo project of Janick Panic (vocalist, guitarist and programmer) the band has now expanded to include long-time musical collaborator Von Toxic on guitar, Glen Reaper on bass and Draven on live drums. Their latest offering, a full length album with some special added bonus tracks for certain versions, is called Believers Punishment and its quite the slab of metal you’d expect with a name like that.

There’s definitely more than just the usual suspects of influence on display here – while it’s easy to identify some influence such as Ministry, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot or Nine Inch Nails, beneath the layers of noise there’s influences as disparate as The Misfits, White Zombie and maybe even a nod to a rock-a-billy swing despite the precision of the programming.

Opener A Death In The Family begins with a synth line from Jaws, joined by a heavily affected guitar, then hypnotic drums and long pick scrapes. This track offers a chance for the listener to adjust their listening device and settings for the onslaught to come as the overall mastering is close to maximum limiting and the sound can be overwhelming for ears not used to this type of music.

DitchBitch (Won’t Need Love) – introduces us to Janick’s vocals which are screamed and drawled not to dissimilar from Mr. Manson, only there’s far more energy than anything the great MM has released in years. The industrial elements are very obvious on this one compared to others to follow, but the basic foundation of the song is built on one megalithic, aggressive riff. Unfortunately, the bass is basically indecipherable or so tightly played with the guitar it becomes one overall sound. The drums become a little repetitive by the end but tasty, nonetheless. The overall sound here is pretty harsh and abrasive, but that’s the point. Maximum energy throughout.

Save Me…A Spot in Hell is a little more like a Godflesh track or an early Slipknot tune, but overall it has a similar tempo as the last track which is unfortunate as there is more variety to follow soon. There’s a few tricky riffs to enjoy and even a blistering guitar solo that ends with the instrument screaming in anguish.

The basic trick of the album is somehow balancing the instruments despite all elements being played at what seems maximum volume. The various components scream for attention, and above the din the beat and vocals are miraculously identifiable. The majority of the tracks here, hidden or bonus or not, are intense. There’s some variety in as much as certain parts really shining over others. For example, My Hatred (All For You) has one of my most impressive vocal performances on the album. In The Firelight is almost single material with its ascending chord progression that ends in a diminished minor making a catchy song in its own twisted way. Throughout there is EDM like rhythms beneath the guitar growls and punctuation, but if the noise gave way, just sometimes, there might be more dynamics to play with.

Beneath My Skin is a fast and bass dominant track with death-metal and groove-metal influences, but a full breakdown would be unlikely to work effectively due to the amount of chaos occurring in any one track. There’s a few songs which fail to connect the dots and create the most successful mix of parts the band can conjure, such as Dethhead (God in Miserys Garden) which has such a simplistic riff it doesn’t hit the other songs do. Other times, like Eating Locusts (Abandon Gods Creation) there’s a black-metal intensity and Hand Crafted Jesus almost has a rockabilly swagger to it. But often (and especially in Hand Crafted Jesus), the vocals are so deeply affected that the words are completely incomprehension, although there are technically impressive solos throughout the whole album but Jesus has a real ripper. Spiders has a more live sound, which is almost refreshing after the intense digital harshness of previous tracks, and the flanged vocals, along with the keyboard part is so melodic at the song’s conclusion it reminded me of The Horrors. Acidwarp features an intro with a drum pattern not unlike something dreamt up by the cramps, only to dissolve into a warble of digital noise.

They Keep Calling is a fast track which would no doubt go down well live. Devils Teeth has an intro leading the listener into thinking it might be the albums respite from the onslaught, but a descending chord pattern tells us its only more of the same to come. Dark, brutal and intense.

Closer Hollow-Eyed Angels (Make It Hurt, Make It Easy) is my surprising favourite track on offer. It begins with some unorthodox noises, with a verse that comes down in intensity creating something missing from so much of the record: dynamics! This builds toward an impressive, anthemic chorus and then, a special treat, a spooky guitar solo to finish.

There’s lots to process here. There’s influences from Danzig, White Zombie, Prong and other powerful noise merchants who combine digital noises with traditional rock instruments. Does every track work? Well, it all depends on what the intention is. If it is to overwhelm the listener with scorching after scorching track filled to the gills with noise, then, yes, the record is a success. It certainly impresses on the listener that the musicians are passionate, their songs are personal and from what little I can gather from the lyrics, they are anti-religious or at least have anti-Christian sentiments. Even on the previously mentioned international acts, there is more dynamics, more variety. This allows the heavier tracks to sound heavier in comparison, but Plagueditch don’t falter or sway from their mission to pummel the listener over the whole album. While I could criticize and state that there might be something to learn from pulling back, I will instead state how impressed I am at how unwavering they are from this intention. Imposing. Striking. Forceful. But Plagueditch fans would expect nothing less.