Ogre - Plague of the Planet Review
.
It is a wondrous thing when a band stops being just a band and becomes a part of myth. Portland, Maine's Ogre does just this on their third album Plague of the Planet, deftly weaving a complicated science fiction narrative out of thin air. Plague of the Planet, in fact, is an apt title for an album as expansive as this one is � Ogre creates a tangible world complete with its own history, dreams, and conflicts.
Powering this intricate construct of the imagination is some of the heaviest, catchiest, and most gripping doom anywhere in our world. Though Plague unfolds its epic tale in only one song, there are plenty of interesting detours in both the narrative and the music accompanying it.
The story, for example, is a post-apocalyptic cautionary tale decrying modern dependence on oil. As the world of Plague devolves into violent war over oil reserves, the emergence of genetic tampering and cybernetics creates a brutal tyranny under which mankind as we know it is slowly eradicated. From there, the race is on for the last few humans to right the wrongs of the past and continue into a better future.
Ogre backs this grim fable with their by-now gargantuan doom, the likes of which rocks harder than ever but betrays a few surprises up its sleeves. For starters, in true progressive fashion the singular "Plague of the Planet" track is itself multiple songs. From here, the band gets even more unpredictable � there's the rustic folk opener of 'Requiem,' the spastic instrumental burst of 'Battle at Doom Capital,' and the transcendent, post-modern atmospherics of 'Dawn of the Proto-Man.' Such surprising turns are balanced out by some of the band's best traditional doom yet, with cuts like 'Drive,' 'A Call to Colossus,' and 'Colonizer Rex' laying down riffs heavier than steel war hammers.
Such colossal doom would not be possible without seamless musicianship, however, and Ogre delivers on that front too. Drummer Will Broadbent switches between ferociously rhythmic and quietly intense like he's reloading a rifle; bassist/vocalist Ed Cunningham, meanwhile channels the barely-sane wailing of Ozzy Osbourne while kicking out some seriously low-end grooves. Beyond this, the icing on this already fantastic cake is guitarist Ross Markonish, who somehow manages to throw the pyrotechnics of a KISS solo again and again into the middle of a doom riff of bone breaking heaviness. I have said it before folks, and I will say it again � Ogre gets better every album, period.
Like any truly powerful story, Plague of the Planet requires an investment. For listeners ready to take the plunge, few albums in this or any other year will send out such deep resonances both literally and metaphorically. Literally speaking, Plague of the Planet lays down mountain-sized riffs drenched in thick, choking fuzz straight out of the 1970s. Metaphorically speaking, Plague of the Planet challenges a linchpin of American society � the Automobile industry � and asks quietly, "what if?" One may not like the answer, but the true point of doom is expressing it anyways. In the same way Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" spooked the children born in the fires of Vietnam, Ogre takes today's transportation methods and shows us how the creation has overtaken the creator. With this in mind, Plague of the Planet is an essential album in this or any other year.
Ogre's Plague of the Planet
Plague of the Planet
Requiem
End-Days
Drive
Queen of Gasoline
A Call to Colossus
Deus ex Machina
Colonizer Rex
Battle at Doom Capital
Homo Sapiens Ferreus
G.F.R.
Dawn of the Proto-Man
CD Info and Links
Ogre - Plague of the Planet
Rating:
Preview and Purchase This CD Online
Visit the official homepage
More articles for this artist
.
