A drone of psychedelic trance

Plague Vendor is a band from Whittier, (L.A.) California. The group was formed in 2009 by Brandon Blaine, Jay Rogers, Luke Perine and Michael Perez. They recently released their third album, By Night. It is preceded by their second album BLOODSWEAT; which was released in 2016.

The album kicks off with “New Comedown,” which is featured in their latest music video. The song begins with an almost electronic drum beat that is soon joined by an aggressively overdriven bassline. Next, the guitar fades in, giving a small preview of what is to come later. For the most part, the drums and bass do not stray very far from their respective riffs throughout the whole song. This fidelity creates a drone-like effect that is amplified by the psychedelic ambiance from the spinning void-like keyboard and slap-back reverb vocal effects. Then, just when the song is droning on into psychedelic obscurity, the guitar comes in with the chorus, and it snaps you back to a harsh and oppressive reality. The fact that the group can do so much with a singular and drone-like riff is impressive.

“All Of The Above” has a tastefully abundant amount of both dance-industrial drone and psychedelic ambiance that keeps on moving. The embellishments in the song that are slowly added and drop out give the composition a trance-like movement that is almost hypnotic.

“Let Me Get High/Low” is a perfect example of how powerful the vocal reverb effect can be. This track has a slightly slower tempo, so all the drone and psychedelic effects are not only prominent, but their impact is heightened. “Prism” lets the bass and drums stand out, highlighting the pure sound of Plague Vendor. Throughout the song, the rhythm section works together to shine. Even though some of the drums are electronic, the fills are impressive and catchy. The bass remains driving and aggressive.

Overall, Plague Vendor has a lot to offer with By Night. They are like a cross between a mid-’90s Nine Inch Nails and Twenty One Pilots. It’s the kind of album that will put you into a trance with its psychedelic drone-like music and then bring you back to reality, harshly. The album is catchy and will make a great addition to anybody’s workout playlist.