Artist: Orlok’s Plague
Country: USA
Label: Self-Released
Formats: 7″ EP
Year: 2026
Maybe it’s because I’m an old fart, but even without having listened to a single track, I’ve got a fair bit of respect for a band like this that does things the good, old-fashioned way. A self-released demo or even a 7″ EP definitely scores bonus points on my scorecard. This American Death Metal band, known as Orlok’s Plague, is just such a band. Although it’s perhaps not surprising that I hadn’t heard of them before, given that ‘Grisly Hallucinations’ is their debut EP, I was immediately keen to give it a listen. These lads have had this 2-track EP pressed on vinyl themselves, which puts me in a jolly mood right from the start…
First things first, this may be a new band, but its line-up features a few familiar names. It’s usually pointless to list full CVs, but in this case we’re dealing with some celebrated musicians from the American Extreme Metal scene: drummer Matt Sylvester (ex-Morbius, ex-Grand Belial’s Key, ex-Arghoslent), guitarists Mike Bossier (ex-Morbius) and Mike Smith (Deceased), bassist Pete Reid and vocalist Chris Yuastella (both from Abominog). Yet Orlok’s Plague actually sounds like none of the other or previous bands of these seasoned metal veterans.
But it certainly sounds like seasoned American-made Death Metal. The slightly simpler version, that is. Not Morbid Angel or Suffocation, more like early Six Feet Under or late-90s Obituary, but with a good sense of melody. Perhaps that’s not surprising when you consider that Mike Smith is one of the guitarists on duty, and has been responsible for Deceased’s unique sound since 1990. It is therefore mainly the vocals that give the whole thing a slightly heavier sound; Yuastella’s dry grunt fits in well with the crop of Death Metal bands that were launched onto the world via FDA Rekotz or the Cyclone Empire label around the 2010s.
Death Metal fans expecting something new or on the lookout for something fresh would be better off looking elsewhere, as that’s not what you’ll find here. These lads are clearly very happy with their old school Death Metal approach, which is in keeping with their own Death Metal upbringing. But if, for example, you still love mid-90s Malevolent Creation/Hateplow or any other no-nonsense Death Metal, then this is a great EP to check out. ‘Grisly Hallucinations’ is an unpretentious debut EP which, despite its short running time, leaves a favourable impression.
