You guys wanna know whats fucking rad? Waiting 8 years for one of your favorite bands to release a new album and then have that album blow your expectations to goddamn smithereens. I’m Steven Jeffries from Audiovein Entertainment, and this is my review of Society’s Plagues brand spanking new album, “Call To The Void.”
Band: Society’s Plague
Album: Call To The Void
Rating: 11/10
For Fans Of: Soilwork, Dark Tranquility, SepticFlesh
Okay so before I actually get started here, I just wanna say there is some bias here, and if you don’t like that, please let me refer you to the complaint department later. I personally thought this album would never come, honestly. With Drummer James Doyle exiting the band and the long hiatus that followed; on the surface, it appeared as if the band was hanging it up. However, a return in late 2016 (with JD in tow) proved that nonsense wrong. Spending all of 2017 writing and recording this album, we were treated to the first single and the albums opening track “Ashes For Air”; Which showed the band moving away from a breakdown centered 2010’s metalcore sound to straightforward melodic death metal, or as I like to call it “Swedish Metal.”
Aside from Ashes, there’s so many bangers packed into this album. There’s no low point, no mid-album slump. Each song keeps hitting you in the best possible way. “Whispers” has probably the best chorus I’ve ever heard in a metal song. “Distant Waves” should always be used as an example of what this genre of music is supposed to sound like, and let’s not forget that it features a goddamn legend in Bjorn Strid from Soilwork. Very few things on this planet are better than hearing Matt Newton and Strid going back and forth.
They even reprised “Fear is Failure”, which was a fucking demo song that was released just before the hiatus began. News Flash: This version is infinitely better than the demo track. “Paramnesia” and “Broken By Design” serve as what I like to call the ballad tracks. They’re a bit slower and don’t hit as hard as the rest of the songs, giving the listener a solid break from the action while still keeping you interested to see where each song goes. “Abomination” easily wins as the heaviest track of 2018. Seriously this song will wreck your goddamn soul in the best possible way, I know mine was better for it. So, this takes us to the final track. “Rise of The Eidolon.” This is, without a doubt the nerdiest song I’ve ever fucking heard and it’s fantastic. It’s a Viking metal song about magic and shit of that nature. Melodies galore, a nice acoustic section, and it’s just so great… put this shit in my veins.
So, to close this out; people waited 8 years for this album. Some, including myself, thought it would never happen. But I’m glad it did. Earlier I mentioned there was a bias, these guys inspired me to chase my dream and become a musician. Matt, JD, Joe, Aaron, and Roger are some of the best people and musicians I’ve ever met and this album shows their talent from start to finish. A well-written melodeath album with hooks, melodies and all the aggression a person could ask for. Do yourselves a favor and check it out.
I’m Steven Jeffries from Audiovein and I’ll see you, soon.
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