Kev Rowland The guys are back with their fourth album and show no sign at all of slowing down. This is brutal deathcore with the odd tinkle of the ivories to provide some light to go with the shade, but mostly this is all about heads down and lets get rid of the dandruff. It may not be pretty, and in concert will be incredibly intense with a massive moshpit, but this is all about hanging on by your fingernails for 34 minutes of out and out aggression. These guys really mean it, and come at you like a steamroller on steroids that is jet propelled. It is not trying to be anything that it isn’t, and is a refreshingly honest approach to music as they set out their stall and continue to prove time and again that they are the real deal. There is just enough mix of styles (Meshuggah being a main influence, along with Biohazard and Slayer) to make this continuously interesting and the use of keyboards here and there provide a welcome relief. As heavy as lead, but far quicker, this is solid form start to end.

Wilytank See? I said this band had potential to make something interesting and here it is. 'The Great Stone War' easily beats the first two albums that Winds of Plague have made.

They've toned it down with the breakdowns. They're still there, but they're either more interesting (with keyboards) and/or not as long. Otherwise, this album has everything they've done right with 'Decimate the Weak' and improved on it even more.

They're starting to discard their hardcore wigger attitude as well ("FUCK YOU! GET THE FUCK OUT!" - "The Implater" from 'Decimate the Weak'). The only song where the lyrics really fit that hardcore mindset is "Forged in Fire", which is actually my favorite song from this.

I can't give this more than four stars, though. Although I do like this album much more than their previous efforts, it does get kinda samey. So this album might not be suitable for listening to too often, it's still worth checking out even if their other albums are deplorable.

Wilytank Winds of Plagues are yet another deathcore band that has potential, but fail to deliver.

The first three songs are also present on the following album, Decimate the Weak. Except there, they are better produced and the drumming isn't badly synced. That's the problem with this album as a whole. Though the drumming is only really bad on "Anthems of the Apocalypse", the production doesn't really help with the feeling.

A problem that A Cold Day in Hell and Decimate the Weak do share, however, is the fact that they have otherwise interesting music ruined by horrible breakdowns. Refer to my analysis of "Anthems of the Apocalypse" on my review of Decimate the Weak for more info.

Try again, guys.

Wilytank So I listen to this album, and after a mood setting intro, there's some pretty amazing death metal with keyboards here! I mean, musically, this is like a death metal equivalent to Nokturnal Mortum! I feel so mighty listening to-

and BOOM! Breakdown!

ARE YOU SHITTING ME!? Are you telling me that this would have been an amazing symphonic death metal is actually a deathcore experiment gone wrong? I feel so damn stupid comparing this to Nokturnal Mortum as now there is no resemblance. The rest of this album doesn't get much better.

Seriously though, this album had potential, but the breakdowns ruined it. "Anthems to the Apocalypse" would be epic if they replaced the breakdown with something else. I mean come on! The song was epic up until the two minute mark, and at that point I realized that this was in fact terrible.

Time Signature The only song we're allowed to play in church venues...

Genre: symphonic metalcore

This is symphonic metalcore, which really means groovy and heavy riffs, and even heavier breakdowns, plus angrily barked vocals combined with keyboards and other symphonic effects.

Interestingly, what I appreciate the most about this album is not the symphonic or slightly progressive dimension, but rather the metalcore dimension - with breakdowns and all - because Winds of Plague are actually quite good at writing groovy riffs, and theit breakdowns are just right - not too much and not too little - plus, they have inserted bursts of guitar wankery in strategically sound places. All of this means that Winds of Plague avoid coming across as boring and monotonous, which some metalcore, and especially deathcore, acts are accused of.

The symphonic aspect does add an interesting texture and intriguing contrast to the heavy and groovy metalcore riffagem but I think that the tracks would be just as strong without it.

The vocals tend to become samey, though, and slightly annoying, and the lyrics evolve a lot around at motherfucking thatn and motherfucking that attitude, which is probably meant to be a tough-guy thing, but ends up seeming a bit unimaginative. That being said, I am not sure that the lyrics are meant to be taken too seriously in general, and I think that they are meant to be more parodying in nature.

I you are into symphonic more aggressive metal, like Dimmu Borgir, for instance, then you might be interested in this, too - although they sound very different.