Stephen 'Plague of Conscience' is violent, demonic, and aggressive, as typically found in old Bay Area thrash pattern, and that's what SAVAGE MESSIAH's latest album is all about. The very first track is fast-paced with blistering rhythm, the riffs are mindblowing, and the hellish scream at the beginning sparks the signal that they're about to wreck havoc. That's a fantastic track, but too bad, I didn't feel that way on the next two tracks.

'In Thought Alone' brings back the energy and it's amazing to hear the roaring guitars with a brilliant chorus to sing along. Now, the band achieved the peak performance on 'All Seeing I', this is what I call a thrash perfection, a marvelous headbanging gem, and definitely the best tune here. Two other great tracks are 'Architects of Fear' and 'Shadowbound' but the rest didn't really hold up after repetitive spins.

The production is pretty good but honestly I think the vocal part is probably the weakest link here. Not really that bad but it's just too average and almost anybody can replace his spot. With probably 3-4 gems here, this album is risky of wearing thin quickly, but I admire how the twin guitar works effectively, like in 'The Accuser', the riffs are incinerating and ready to set ablaze a whole city. Pretty good album!

Kingcrimsonprog Savage Messiah are a British Metal Band and their third album, Plague Of Consciousness was released on Earache records in 2012, you can get a physical copy or if you like, the band let you download it digitally for free on Earache's website.

Savage Messiah's sound is a modern interpretation of Thrash Metal, although its hard to explain what that is correctly. It is not a regressive but fun carbon copy of 1980s tones and riffs like Gama Bomb and Municipal Waste play it, and it is not in the Metalcore fused mixture with which bands like Trivium and Shadows Fall play it either.

They are a bit technical and rhythmic, not given to writing short songs, and they do have a slightly Melodeath and Power Metal sound at different times, but the overall sound is Thrash. Thrash, with a really varied range of vocal styles, from Mustaine-esque snarls to Halford-shrieks, throaty shouts and even melodic singing.

Consider, if you have heard them, Exodus's Rob Dukes era albums, Testament's last two studio albums and Megadeath's recent output only without any gang-chanting backing vocals used. Then imagine what Arch Enemy would sound like if they used more of the types of scales and notes that American bands use and less of the ones that Continental European bands favour. Try and mix all those things up in your head, and that should give you a vague idea.

If any of that sounds appealing to you then I recommend that you check out the album. It is a really well-written, well-produced and well-performed modern album with a lot of variety, good riffs, talented vocals and an absolute tonne of brilliant virtuosic lead guitar work. I'd wager you are never more than thirty seconds away from a really impressive guitar solo or lead-break.

No matter if you like twin guitar harmonies, slayer-style wailing or impressive shred then you should still love this album, because they mix all of those styles and do each well.

Highlights include the proggy `Architects Of Fear,' as well as `All Seeing Eye' and the thrashy `Carnival Of Souls.'

Overall, if you are into any of the aforementioned bands or styles, and want to listen to a perfectly crafted and musically impressive modern metal album then I would absolutely recommend Savage Messiah's Plague Of Conscience.