Recently, I saw a flyer for a band called The Plague playing in Kent. I got excited and assumed that it was a damn good possibility that it was the same Plague that existed in Cleveland back in the late 80s. Who else in the area would have the balls to call themselves the Plague? But I still had doubts - the band had been inactive for most of the decade. Also their bass player, Duke, had died years ago from a heroin overdose. But with so many bands reforming these days, it didn't seem like that much of a longshot. But it turned out to just be some kids from Kent who named their band The Plague out of ignorance (I sure hope it was ignorance). This whole thing made me realize that perhaps it is time to take a look back at the Plague and their records.

The Plague began on Cleveland's east side in the mid-80s. They played the blend of punk and hardcore that was very common in the 80s. They stood apart, however, with their powerful sound and plenty of catchy songs. The band was not only a very in Cleveland but quickly gained recognition throughout the world, especially in Europe where much of their material was released. However, despite gaining some popularity, their name is not widely recognized today. They released two 7" EPs, a split LP as well as a full length LP before calling it quits. This stuff sounds as good today as it did back then, so try to find it - the stuff can be found fairly easily still. Here's a look back at each of their records.

Just Say No 7" - This was the Plague's first effort, and it was self released I think. A 7" in 10" packaging, later repressed in standard 7" form. The record contained some classics like "Downtown" and "The Pit". As the title "The Pit" could probably clue you into, the lyrics weren't especially deep, and this was probably the most straight-forward punk rock of all their releases. Yet, the energy and the power was already there. Still a good listen even today.

Split LP w/ Rosvett - Probably my least favorite among the Plague records I have heard, this is an alright record, but much of it seems like filler to me. I remember loving it when I first bought it, but it didn't stand the test of time too well for me at least. Still it contains the classic "Fascist Order" and some other good stuff. A good representation of how the band sounded, just not their best songs in my opinion. Released by Punish Records out of Europe.

Unresting Place 7" - The Plague's next effort was their best record that I have heard. All five songs on this thing are fucking great. "Nazi Submarine" is a classic and can still be heard frequently on college radio in Cleveland. This also contains the great "Alcohol" ("Alcohol, take me away!"). The other songs are almost as good too. This record has a bit more variety and a little bit of musical/lyrical growth but not so much as to detract from the raw energy that was always the Plague's greatest strength. Also released by Punish Records.

Chainsawing Massacre LP - The band's debut LP as well as their last release. I have never heard this LP , hell I haven't even ever seen it. I have seen it on trade lists relatively cheap, I really should get around to picking it up. I have seen a track list (on the FLEX website - check out the link from the links page - features reviews and tracklists of all these records as well as MANY others!) and most of the cuts on here are exclusive to this release. I'm sure it is at least worthy of being in your collection if not their best work. Released by Bitzcore.

The Plague may be gone, you may have totally missed them in their heyday, I never even got to see them live, I was a bit too young and their shows were often 21+, but that doesn't mean you can't check out these great records. They blow away most new stuff coming out today, trust me. These records were tough to find at their time of release in the US, even in their hometown, since they were released overseas, but aren't impossible to find these days with a little internet searching. It would be nice to see a CD retrospective, but that's doubtful considering that these guys are relatively obscure. Still, the records were be around forever and you have no excuse to not check them out!

More of Apt. 2324 E-zine #2

Intense Mutilation Interview
Mentors Interview
REO Speedealer Interview
Russ' Skatopia Disaster
Record Reviews
Live Reviews
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