EP Review: Ploughshare – Tellurian Insurgency (Brilliant Emperor)

With their 2018 debut full-length ‘In Offal, Salvation’, Australia’s Ploughshare stirred the extreme metal scene with a violent bang, making into many year ends’ best album lists.

Their new EP, Tellurian Insurgency picks up where its predecessor left off yet it shows that the Australians simply refuse to adhere to a specific genre or style, but are open to incorporate other a multitude of influences and sounds in order to serve a greater purpose. Black metal, death metal, doom metal, noise rock, post-punk and even the darkest offshoots of electronic ambient, all are bent to the band’s scorching musical vision.

Tellurian Insurgency is out on November 29th 2019 via Brilliant Emperor.

Considering the mesh of genres and sub-genres that Ploughshare draw from, you can rightfully look at this new EP as a little bit of a mess. It is a mess but in that mess is a sense of order. One that many bands wouldn’t be capable of. As the ears adjust and the mind begins to relax into Abreactive Trance. The noise begins to make sense. What first sounded like a madness inducing clashing of instruments starts to transform. Into a beastly effort that excites the soul and the passion exuded by Ploughshare is captivating.

It’s their drive and attention to detail that makes Indistinguishable Beast of Flight such a delicious proposition. The doomy tempo and scarring vocals giving way to a faster and way more intense slamming of blackened death infused metal. Unable to sit too still for too long, the post-like rhythm that crops up around the halfway mark is just as inventive.

Returning to their past for another showing of the album title track. In Offal, Salvation is given a makeover curtesy of Andrew Nolan. Ambient dark electronica moves with Ploughshare’s undeniably heavy assault. The remix certainly doesn’t feel out of place.

Finally, to keep listeners well and truly on their toes. Xeno-Chemical Insider leans way into the electronica for an unusual yet atmospheric finale.

If you want to stand out in this industry you have to be willing to push the limits. There’s no denying that Ploughshare do that with Tellurian Insurgency.

Ploughshare – Tellurian Insurgency Full Track Listing:

1. Abreactive Trance
2. Indistinguishable Beast of Flight
3. In Offal, Salvation (Andrew Nolan Remix)
4. Xeno-Chemical Insider

Links

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