Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 08/11/2009
2008's
Decimate the Weak kicked open the door for Upland, CA-based
metal outfit
Winds of Plague with its European-flavored blend of
symphonic black metal and
metalcore -- the band's penchant for the guttural and cinematic drew favorable comparisons to stalwart Scandinavian heavyweights like
In Flames and
Dark Tranquility. The group's sophomore effort improves on
Decimate the Weak's breakneck yet inventive musicality by finding a more cohesive balance between the guitars and keyboards, resulting in a single beast rather than a misfit herd. Bookended by a pair of semi-apocalyptic spoken word pieces that do little to diffuse the notion that most current
metal albums were written in the midst of watching a nine-hour
Lord of the Rings marathon,
Great Stone War proves that West Coast metal is alive and well, and that in the right hands, it can be a thing of terrible, violent beauty.
~James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
;)
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