Customer Reviews

Great Stone War

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The style known as Deathcore is one that is far from my favorite sub genre of Heavy Metal. Most bands in the genre regurgitate the same low riffs, abuse the same ideals in their lyrics and seem to all use the same three vocalists. The only aspect of the genre as a whole that adds something to the table is the normally chaotic time signatures and lead guitars. Winds Of Plague proved with Decimate the Weak that they have their own voice and do not intend to simply follow in the foot steps of those before them.

The Great Stone War simply continues that tradition and broadens their originality. From the atmospheric opener 'Earth' you know right from the get go that the band intended to experiment more this time around and the end result at least in my opinion is successful. As on their previous release the duel axe shredding persists to be a focal point, only this time around subtle melodic moments of guitar and keyboard take a worthy passenger seat.

You get the whole range from just to the point brutality as heard on the chaotic second track 'Forged In Fire'. The more symphonic/anthematic tracks such as 'Chest And Horns'. However the track that really took me for a ride would be 'Our Requiem' which is basically 4:14 of leads beginning to end and even includes a very nice solo. The part of that track that really hooked me was the subtle use of atmospheric arrangements through out, which is where Winds Of Plague truly conquers over the competition.

All in all a great release by a relatively new band rapidly rising to fame in the genre. They've been on tours with the likes of Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Hatebreed and several other big names in the modern Metal scene. As fans we can only hope that a band so obviously interested in experimenting with their sound will continue to do so but I can safely say I will no longer be calling this group Deathcore. They have risen above, proving they are more then a one trick pony.

For an after thought, I am torn between which album I prefer, this or Decimate The Weak. However both albums are brutal, original and yet hold a familiarity that will continue to gather fans. Thanks for reading and I hope that I encouraged you to purchase this album as well as Decimate the Weak.

I was a big fan of "Decimate the Weak" but as one reviewer put it, it was prematurely mature. But now with "The Great Stone War," most of the elements that needed tweaking and refining have been tweaked and refined, and we are treated to a metal monster the likes of which we have never seen.

I felt that the songwriting on DTW was a bit haphazard at times, and the inhaled vocals were often hoarse and lacking oomph. The lyrics at times were a bit juvenile and bullying as well. Now with TGSW, Winds of Plague have taken a turn towards battle metal, amping the symphonic effects to epic proportions, and maximizing the "death" and minimizing the "core." Of course the breakdowns are still inhumanly monstrous. I don't know how they do it, maybe it's a sound effect or a super-heavy bass drop, but every time they unleash a breakdown, the first chord literally explodes in my ears. This is one thing I like about deathcore that hardcore and metalcore can't match- the sheer punishment of the breakdowns. Winds of Plague is like James Bond- nobody does it better.

TGSW reminds me a lot of "Declaration" by Bleeding Through. Yet I would consider "Declaration" to be blackened symphonic hardcore while TGSW has a lot more metal in its diet. "Declaration" is one of my favorite albums of all time so if you are a fan of it or black metal and death metal subgenres, get "The Great Stone War" immediately.

A multitude of metal acts have failed to re-invent themselves after their initial major release, but Winds of Plague emerges again, to bring you another auditory assault that shines with improved song and lyrical structures. This release makes it apparent that the band has reached its musical maturity and that Decimate the Weak was a pre-mature attempt that only hinted the full potential of this band. From the introductory seconds of the album until its ending, you are presented with constant pummeling barrage of sound and passages of epic proportions, that remain embedded in your mind long after your listen. Every element of this release is crafted with accuracy to ensure equal proportions, where nothing becomes boring or over played. The signature mighty break downs are tastefully sprinkled throughout and keyboard pieces emerge just at the right time. The most impressive element of this album is that each and every exposure has the ability to present you with a constant influx of new sounds which in turn enhance the overall listening experience. Moreover, it is that which keeps you coming back for more and eventually experience the album in its full glory. Definitely give it about 10 listens until forming your final opinion.

The only reason I am not awarding it 5 stars is because nothing is perfect and there is always room for potential improvement. The Great Stone War is a very strong and convincing effort that only reinforces the fact that Winds of Plague remains as one of the more promising forerunners of this genre.

I really enjoyed listening to this album. From the first track to the very last, it was like I was listening to a story. The song that stood out for me was the song "Chest and Horns." For some reason I was very drawn into the Egyptian sounding keyboards and also the way the lyrics flowed. I highly recommend for anybody to listen to this album. However, if you listen to this after you have listened to Decimate the Weak. You will notice a difference. I will have to admit, if I had to choose between the two I would definitley go for DTW w/ the tracks of Chest and Horns and Our Requiem.

I have been searching for a new metal bands for awhile I listen to ( lamb of god, unearth, dark tranquillity, after the burial, born of osiris, august burns red, chimaira, darkest hour, soilwork, sybreed, war of ages, sylosis, the agony scene, as i lay dying, daath, himsa, the haunted, god forbid, in flames, white chapel, suicide silence, shadows fall, textures, trivium, veil of maya, bleed the sky, the black dahlia murder, devil driver, pantera, and many many more) but this band is by far the best new metal band I have come across. Both cds of thier"s are masterpieces every song is totally EPIC. The guitars are CRUSHING the drums are nonstop perfection and the keyboards only add to the overall EPICNESS of it all. This cd is a must have! BUY IT NOW you won't regret it!!!!!!! P.S. I posted the same review for Decimate the Weak only because both albums are PERFECTION!!!!!

The new "deathcore" scene is probably the most "in" form of metal currently, as loads of these bands are forming and releasing albums, and most suck. I do like a couple deathcore bands, and Winds Of Plague is one of them. Their singer has a good range, and they write some pretty good riffs, albeit lame song lyrics.

This album is a bit different than their last album 'Decimate The Weak'. It's a concept album album the end of a world. 2 groups start a war that basically ends their world. Kinda unoriginal, but I like the effort. It features less keyboards (which I really, really dispise in metal), and more thrash metal-ish riffs. Much of the vocals now have an NYHC-edge to them, which is a welcome change in my eyes from the typical, generic deathcore growl. I also think the song structures have improved from their first album. One of the more negative aspects of this album are the solo's (or lack there of). I really can only think of 2-3 songs that have any solos. The production isn't great. Some heavy bass parts are actually slightly distorted, and the snares are buried in the mix big time. The double bass do sound good, though. One of the things that makes this album for me, is their is a "jump out at you" song. 'Forged In Fire" is a sick tune, starting w/ a very heavy thrashy riff and some greta double bassing. Also, I would consider just 2 of these songs fillers. While a couple songs blend into each other and are difficult to discern, most of the tracks are quality. Worth a listen for death metal/deathcore fans.

Stand out Tracks

Forged In Fire (#2)
Chest and Horns (#6)
The Great Stone War (#9)

Overall Rating : 7/10

I just purchased this album looking forward to its arrival this year. I was excited to listen to this album once I made the purchase for it. I must say I was very impressed it has been a good long year since they have had a new album so I was excited when I heard of this album being created.

Now I would like to start off with the intro, Its amazing as the first intro in Decimate the Weak, it leads up to the next song. I think that the songs on this CD are more brutal, there is more screaming in the vocals, growling and it sounds way heavier. I usually have a certain songs I list when I buy a CD my favorite songs, so far I can not decide I think the album is just great the way it is. Each song is heavy in its own personal way, and its unique sounds makes this album a must buy.

I am a big metal fan I listen to a lot of Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal and so on. In my personal opinion if you liked Decimate the Weak, pick this album up its worth every cent.

This album is straight up awful. There are absolutely no technical guitars to be found on this release, while they were all over Decimate the Weak. They've also added some dude singing NY hardcore style, which really irritates me. There's no melody in any of the songs like on Decimate. If you liked the keys in Decimate, they either aren't here, or they sound like Evanescence. I totally agree in the fact that this sounds rushed. Considering this band is supposed to be a tech-death band, there is no tech and barely any death, besides the people who dropped 14 bucks on this and slit their wrists. DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU ARE EXPECTING IT TO BE AWESOME LIKE DECIMATE WAS. Buy something from Born of Osiris instead. Some parts of this CD are so embarrassing that I found myself rolling up my windows at stop lights during the initial listen so that nobody would hear the god awful garbage I was listening to.

I think The Great Stone War is different from Decimate The Weak. I have to say I like Decimate The Weak more than I like The Great Stone War. I don't like this album that much. The Great Stone War doesn't do it for me like Decimate The Weak does. I think The Great Stone War could have been better than it is. Behemoth's Evangelion is a lot better than The Great Stone War. The feeling I get while listening to Decimate The Weak isn't there when I listen to The Great Stone War.

I liked Decimate the Weak when it came out, cuz at the time it was something a little different and thats why this band blew up... somehow.With this new album it is horrible sounding.I thought they would progress using more keyboards and experimenting with the guitars but it feels rushed and just boring to listen too. The only thing i like is the keyboards and how they played that with the intro, but other than that its garbage. Just a boring rushed cd from a band that proclaims to be epic. Right!