GENRE; Death Metal/ Metal
RELEASE DATE; 26 December, 2025
RATING; 4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There are albums that are heavy, and then there are albums that feel like a collapse you can hear. Plague Protocol belongs firmly in the latter category. From the very first seconds of “Marching into Hell,” Deathkrush pulls the listener into a hostile sonic landscape where melody feels haunted and brutality feels inevitable. Instead of chasing trends, the band sounds rooted in the old-school spirit of death metal while channeling modern metalcore intensity. The title track “Plague Protocol” doesn’t just sound like a song, it feels like a warning broadcast from a dying world, dense with tension and despair.
What makes this record stand out is how physical it feels. The guitar work isn’t simply loud; it’s oppressive, especially on “Bleeding Oracle” and “Last Breath,” where the riffs grind forward like tectonic plates tearing apart. The drums move between frantic blast beats and slow, crushing passages that give the music weight and breathing room. Rather than constant chaos, Deathkrush understands when to attack and when to let the atmosphere rot in place.
Vocally, the band creates a chilling duality. The high-pitched shrieks cut like glass on “Ashes of the Crown,” while the guttural lows on “Extinction” sound buried beneath layers of sonic rubble. This contrast turns the vocals into another instrument of destruction. Lyrically, the album leans into themes of inner breakdown, societal decay, and transformation through catastrophe — ideas that feel disturbingly relevant rather than fictional. “The Collapse” and “No Redemption” linger like nightmares you can’t shake.
By the time “Final Curse” arrives, the album feels less like entertainment and more like an experience you survive. Plague Protocol doesn’t invite you in gently, it drags you through darkness and leaves you changed. For a first album, Deathkrush has delivered something rare: a record that feels dangerous, purposeful, and unforgettable.
