Belgian death metal band When Plagues Collide are back in fashion with their debut full-length, Tutor of the Dying. For those unfamiliar with them, When Plagues Collide is essentially along the lines of early Whitechapel. When Plagues Collide take on that proto-deathcore style, mixing various breakdowns, a mix between high screams and low growls as well as faster and slower paced vocals. Interestingly enough, the band also mixes in some keyboard into the mix that makes for some very different sounding sections.
One of the biggest praises to give to this release is the transition from song to song. Beginning to end on this album, it sounds like one massive, ever-changing song. The key point here is ever changing. The album does not mold together simply because everything sounds the same. There are sections that are replicated in some songs, but at no point does it feel like every idea is rehashed. For instance, in “Messengers of the Holy Falsehood” there is a dominant keyboard section in some of the verses. This section is revisited slightly a little later in “Dictating Violence”.
Tutor of the Dying additionally features a few well-known guest vocalists for any fans of deathcore— in case you need a little more inspiration to jump into this album. Revisiting a track we already slightly discussed, “Dictating Violence” features vocalist Ben Duerr (Shadows of Intent). Duerr absolutely kills it mixed in with When Plagues Collide and any fans of Shadows of Intent should absolutely check out the single. Next up, “Fleshmould”, is essentially the most deathcore track on the album and also features Luke Griffin (Acrania).
Anyone familiar with Acrania will recognize this track, as it seems like it was essentially written for Griffin. In other words, this sounds like an Acrania song with keyboards, doesn’t hurt to give it a listen. Last up is “Marked For Destruction”, which has Tim De Ridder (The Seventh) as a guest. Overall, it is a very melodic song and honestly, the standout song on the album. Outside of a kind of obvious breakdown right at the end of the song itself, the song is probably the best instrumentally, featuring some of the best musicianship portrayed throughout Tutor of the Dying.
In conclusion, this album rocks. If you’re an extreme metal fan in the slightest, this is definitely an album you should consider checking out. It’s not often you hear something rocking from Belgium, so that’s cool enough as it is. The musicianship shown on this album and the dedication these guys show to their style is incredible. Tutor of the Dying is a killer piece of work and definitely a standout of 2018.
