Plague - Higher Moral Ground (2005)

I have trouble hearing this CD and believing that this is the same band who wrote the first Plague CD, the evolution is so extreme that it almost seems to be a completely different band. Out the door goes the ferocious and yet often uninteresting early speedmetal-influenced songs, the competent and yet somewhat pedestrian guitar work, the predictible timing structures, the annoying NYHC sounding vocals and the crossover thrash feel. Roaring into that vacuum comes a dynamic and insane sounding album with all the best elements retained and so much more going on.


Where to start? Well, the vocals are a VAST improvement in delivery, variation and tone. Where once they were just a monotonous shout, the new mix and better delivery has given them more fire and grunt, they sound caustic and pissed off, and instead of the single tone delivery of the self-titled album there is more variation which adds to the spiteful and venomous sound of the album overall. There are also moments where they are spoken or hissed and the Aussieness of the band comes out in these moments, giving it a genuine quality that is so very cool, the vocals of the final track "Better to Burn" is a prime example of this. The vocals also sit immeasurably better in the mix of the album, neither too loud or too quiet, clear as broken glass but without dominating the other instruments. A huge part of the improvement between the two Plague CDs can be attributed directly to the vocals.

The guitars and Bass are blistering on "Higher Moral Ground", like the vocals they have leapt forward exponentially between the two CDs in every way. The roots are still there but the boys from Plague have stepped out from beneathe the shadow of the greats of yesteryear and developed their own style, a fresh and invigorating semi-technical metal. The predictibily is gone and into its place comes a new spirit of experimentation in timing structure and free-wheeling guitar licking. They keep it fast and aggressive but there is more groove, more machine gun patterning and some wild runs up and down the fretboard to keep the listener paying attention. With the improvement in mix and the subsequent drop in the raw volume of the vocals, the guitars and bass gain a new degree of legibility and definition, and even the fastest rhythms are now clear. "Fusion" is one song in particular where Plague display this new flamboyance with some slippery structuring and nutty guitar work, but there is not a song on "Higher Moral Ground" that is less than wickedly angry sounding.

The drums were great on the last CD and needed no real improvement, but they are equally as good and in fact better in some parts, particularly where they adapt themselves around the new more twisted and non-standard timing signatures and the more dynamic and technical guitar passages. I don't know Matt personally, but he was/is an excellent drummer and reminds me a fair bit of Ben from Malignant Monster in his playing, raw, uncompromising and unleashing all his rage on the kit.
In fact, Rage is the keyword here, the anger of this CD really appeals to me, so much vent up anger and simmering rebelliousness. The lyrics read like a manifesto of hate, are and delivered with timing and phrasing to make them sound even more hateful. The message of "Higher Moral Ground is clear, and can be summarised into one short passage from the title track:

" No I won't be what you made me
I will eraze all that you've told me
I will not be clay in your hands
I'll punch holes in the ground you stand."

This has to be one of my favourite Perth metal releases for its raw aggression and clever songwriting, but also for the massive leap forward in creativity and skill, a 500% improvement at the least. The last time I shared a stage with Plague was in 2006 I believe, an eternity ago in metal terms, where have they gone? If this album is a yardstick to measure their progression as a band, Plague potential could create a world-class album in a couple of years, a real masterpiece. Until then, "higher Moral Ground" stands as Plague's greatest achievement to date, and a Hellish achievement it is indeed.

Review by Jez.