A Plea for Purging

The first notes on The Life and Death of A Plea For Purging sound digitally processed and djent-like, and you have to wonder if they've gone to the djark side. They haven't; they've simply added a few more string bends to their metalcore. And while the bends tend to cause the songs to blend together, the group diversify with some well-placed melodic riffs and clean vocals on songs such as "Skin & Bones" and "Hands & Feet." The surprisingly strong singing isn't at all nasally like many of the band's peers. Seriously, it's as if any and all nasal congestion was knocked out in a raging pit, revealing a voice similar to Thrice's Dustin Kensrue, both in style and range. If this truly was the demise of a Plea for Purging, it's a respectable eulogy. But the promise shown here, especially in the more melodic parts, should be enough to reinvigorate any band on their last legs.