Comprised of Brandon Blaine (vocals), Luke Perine (drums), Michael Perez (bass) and Jay Rogers (guitar), Whittier, CA-based punk rock quartet Plague Vendor formed in 2009 and quickly emerged from a practice space to playing raucous, frenetic shows across Southern California. Eventually the number of shows they played stacked up and led to the material that comprised the band’s 2014 release, Free to Eat, an effort that’s been described as a dark, terse, thrashing collection of songs.
The Whittier, CA-based quartet’s forthcoming sophomore effort, Bloodsweat is slated for a March 25, 2016 release through renowned punk rock label Epitaph Records, and the album is reportedly comprised of material that has been written, revised, road-tested, revised and re-imagined before the members of the band went into the studio. Additionally, the album, which was produced and engineered by Stuart Sikes, best known for his work with The Walkman, Cat Power and Modest Mouse had quartet embracing minimalist production, as each individual band member aimed to capture each track in as few takes as possible with little to no overdubs. Essentially, the band had the expressed intention of making their recorded sound hew as closely as possible to their live sound while the album thematically recounts the last couple of years of the band members lives, the dedication and sacrifices they’ve made up to this point and how that’s influenced them as a band and as people. Although the band’s sound has evolved, their sound still is subtly influenced by At the Drive-In, Liars, The Cramps and others.
Sonically speaking, “Jezebel,” the latest single off Bloodsweat consists of tense and thrashing guitar chords are paired with a propulsive and forceful rhythm section and howled vocals and seems as though it channels The Hives — in particular, I think of “Walk Idiot, Walk” and “Hate To Say I Told You So” but while balancing an almost danceable stomp with a furious, primal abandon.
The recently released music video for “Jezebel” was directed by Sabrina Ratte and shot by collective Everything Is Terrible! and features the band performing the song with a furious intensity — while appearing as though it were shot and recorded on smashed, worn down, VHS cassette tapes and it gives the video a psychedelic and trippy feel while making it difficult to tell what exactly is going on.