One of the things I’ve always loved about Bandcamp is the sheer randomness of discovery. You can jump on, type “Black Metal” into the search bar, hit the latest releases, and roll the dice. Sometimes you get absolute drivel that makes you hate yourself for wasting your energy, and sometimes you stumble on a gem buried in the muck, glowing like a bright Satanic light in the darkness. Plaguecaster’s Beyond Desolate Spires falls firmly into the latter camp — and not just as a “pleasant surprise,” but as a slab of Black Metal evil that feels like it’s clawing straight out of the abyss.
This three-track EP wastes no time in showing you exactly what it’s about. From the opening moments, Plaguecaster drag you headfirst into their world — one where traditional Black Metal frost meets the guttural violence of Blackened Death. The guitars slice and churn with feral intent, the drums pound with an apocalyptic urgency, and the vocals sound like they’ve been torn from the lungs of some demonic preacher. It’s chaotic, terrifying, and utterly glorious.
What makes Beyond Desolate Spires really stand out is that balancing act between styles. Too often, when bands dip their hands into both Black and Death Metal, they lose the identity of one or water down the other. Plaguecaster don’t fall into that trap. Instead, they carve out a sound that takes the ferocity of Death and binds it with the icy malevolence of Black Metal. The result is music that feels both ancient and forward-looking, as though you’re listening to something born in a crypt but sharpened for modern warfare.
Across its three tracks, the EP never lets up. Each song is distinct, yet the whole thing flows as a cohesive onslaught, with shifts in tempo and mood that stop it from ever feeling one-note. There are moments where the pace slows just enough to let the atmosphere seep in, only for the next barrage of riffs and blast beats to tear it all apart again. It’s this ebb and flow that keeps the record engaging, even as it’s trying to rip your face off.
You can pick out the detail in the riffs, the punch of the drums, the venom in the vocals — all without sacrificing the sense of chaos that defines this kind of music. It sounds like hell, but it’s hell rendered with clarity.
Beyond Desolate Spires is an EP that does exactly what it needs to do: it grabs you, batters you, and leaves you wanting more. At three tracks long, it doesn’t outstay its welcome, but it delivers enough carnage to make a serious impression. Plaguecaster may be lurking in the underground right now, but with releases like this, they won’t stay hidden for long.
Beyond Desolate Spires is out now via the Plaguecaster Bandcamp Page.
CHOICE CUT: Anfortas Obloquy
The Black Metal Archives Verdict: Short, savage, and dripping with malice, Plaguecaster’s Beyond Desolate Spires is a potent reminder of how thrilling underground discovery can be.
