Special Ops and the Winds of Plague

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Special Ops: Through The Heart of the Infidel

The forthcoming new release from Montreal Post-Grunge rock act, Special Ops, is a brilliant introduction to the band.

If Metallica were still early in their career, and were involved in a bizarre genetic experiment with Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell and Eddie Van Halen, the resulting mutant hybrid would sound a lot like Special Ops.

The back-to-basics guitar, drums and vocals that are the backbone of Special Ops are reminiscent of early Metallica, had Metallica been at the vanguard of the Seattle Sound.  There are pre-resurgence Metal elements here, but this is Metal the way Kurt Cobain envisioned it when Nirvana released ‘Bleach’, with Rock sensibilities very much part of the mix.

Opener “HM” cements the tone for this album, establishing without a question what kind of music is to follow.  Using techniques derived from Metal and Grunge, Special Ops weave together 10 solid rockers onto this disc.  “Hard Ass”, the third track on the album really opens up the power with a solid, action Rocker.  I’m a particular fan of “Pressure”, if only for the drumwork that opens the tune.

All in all ‘Through The Heart of the Infidel’ is a solid debut, one that deserves attention from fans of Rock, Metal and all their various subgenres.

Special Ops: Through The Heart Of The Infidel

Independently Released

Steve’s Rating: 8/10

Winds of Plague: The Great Stone War

Metal music is often rife with a pageantry and melodrama, especially in the composition and execution of high-concept albums.  Take for example what Winds of Plague lead singer Jonathan “Johnny Plague” Cooke says about their latest release:

“…The idea of ‘The Great Stone War’ is that civilization as a whole will digress and in time inevitably end with one final battle. This battle will not be fought with technology but with stone. Over the course of eleven tracks the listener hears about a journey foreseen through the eyes of a heathen in a religious world apocalypse…”

The album opens with “Earth”, one of a few spoken-word narratives found on ‘The Great Stone War’.  It sets the tone for the album, setting up the concept nicely for those who might not get it from casual listening to the rest of the album.

The apocalyptic overtones are anything but subtle, as the speed-guitar work, violent drumming and requisite roaring, screaming vocals will attest.

But ‘Great Stone War’ also incorporates the use of bleak pianos, choirs, marching Brass Wind instruments and a host of other elements one might not expect from a Deathcore Metal act.

This is a high concept album, one that plays out operatically and cataclysmically, song after song describing the horrible, inevitable steps towards the mutually assured destruction of the Great Final War.  For such an epic album, it is surprisingly short, coming in at under 40 minutes.  The longest song on the album is 4 minutes and 17 seconds, the title track, “The Great Stone War”.  I would have wanted the songs to be longer, perhaps with instrumental breaks or more exposition in the spoken word narrative.

The diverse elements added to the album for effect could have been better used far more effectively to shift mood and action within the songs, as well.  Instead of producing a Metal album that is fairly interchangeable with much of the other, cookie-cutter Metal that seems to be produced with more and more frequency of late, Winds of Plague could have delivered something truly epic.

Winds of Plague: The Great Stone War

Century Media Records

Steve’s Rating: 7/10