Apocalypse Orchestra - A Plague upon Thee

Angry Metal Guy 80

I love Apocalypse Orchestra. When I first came across the Swedish group in late 2017 via their debut, The End is Nigh, our connection was instant—doom metal and folk metal fused together under a medieval lens, boasting lyrics that suggested a genuine effort for historical accuracy. The End is Nigh still makes the strongest claim of any album I’ve heard for the tag of “medieval metal,” and is one of my favorite doom metal albums. I’ve waited patiently for nearly eight years, and, finally, Apocalypse Orchestra are releasing their sophomore full-length, A Plague upon Thee, in which they continue their carefully treaded way down the dismal course of medieval European history.

If you’re not familiar with Apocalypse Orchestra, here’s a crash course on their sound. Jonas Lindh (Guitars), Andreas Skoglund (drums), and Rikard Jansson (bass) play mid-paced, somewhat progressive doom meta, similar to King Goat; strong riffs, great ebb and flow, and active play. Then, Mikael Lindström gets involved, adding hurdy gurdy, bagpipes, and mandola, both in lead and supporting capacities, and as primary drivers of melody. The folk instruments add a rustic filter, which is complemented by Erik Larsson (more guitars, more mandola, lute, cittern, vocals), whose singing style is something I can’t quite put into words—his baritone fits the “medieval” theme of A Plague upon Thee with unique grace. His growls are very strong, but used sparsely. All five band members also contribute backing vocals, to phenomenal effect, giving the album an epic undertone. Of course, there’s no keyboard;¹ anywhere one could conceivably be used, the choir shows up instead. Put all of this together, and Apocalypse Orchestra have claim to a unique sound, one they’ve clearly been honing for years.

A Plague upon Thee by Apocalypse Orchestra

With so many instruments and so much history to work from, A Plague upon Thee does not lack for ideas. “Glass and Sun” tackles religious dominance in the era, letting the bagpipes lead in a stunning display to mirror the worship common from the time. “Tempest” takes its inspiration from Revelations; it is the darkest song on the album and one of its best. Never has a hurdy-gurdy—or Larsson, for that matter—sounded so commanding. This is one of few songs that make use of his cruel growls in a thematically welcome turn, and also one of the few to feature a guitar solo. “Anchorhold” is a mid-paced folk-doom march with a huge chorus that tells the story of a dispirited anchorite. The mournful hurdy-gurdy leads echo their frustration and despair, supported by huge riffs crashing through with modern rage. Apocalypse Orchestra also excel in smaller, subtler moments; the choral melody in “Virago” is so quiet but so effective; similarly, the mandolin in “From the Athanor” is easy to miss, but the verses would be notably different without it. At every turn—musically, lyrically, and thematically—there is careful thought and clear intent throughout A Plague upon Thee.

For all that Apocalypse Orchestra does differently than most bands, there are still hallmarks of doom metal alongside their creativity. With the exception of “To Arrive” (a powerful interlude), every song falls between seven and nine minutes long, giving the eight-song album a runtime of just under an hour. As mentioned earlier, Apocalypse Orchestra, and especially Mikael Lindström, know how to keep things interesting, but if there is one critique I can make for A Plague upon Thee, it is that there is a clear formula at work. The band excels with huge choruses, supported by choral vocals; each song has a distinct lead from the hurdy-gurdy or bagpipes; and each song is roughly the same length with a similar design. This is not to say that every song sounds the same—not even close—but most of the excitement happens within a similar formula. More variety in the formula itself might endear A Plague upon Thee to a wider audience because the music itself is nothing short of great.

To some extent, the “medieval metal” tag has always been vague—what constitutes medieval influence anyway? But what Apocalypse Orchestra is doing is a clear attempt at genuine authenticity in colliding these two opposing worlds. In this sense, A Plague upon Thee is a triumph. It effortlessly blends folk music, medieval instruments, and modern metal into a captivating whole. I do hope to hear more before another eight years pass—but this will keep me happy if they do.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Despotz Records
Websites: apocalypseorchestra.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/apocalypseorchestra
Releases Worldwide: February 14th, 2025

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