The Locust are a band out to destroy music as we know it and if they keep up at the pace they are going, they just may happily destroy themselves in the process. Rotating line-ups, 'songs' that rarely tread over the 1 minute mark and some of the most bombastic noise ever created have allowed them to quickly stand out from the grindcore herd. Think The Blood Brothers and Atari Teenage Riot caught in a tornado with cheese graters and some grinding riffs and you'll get the picture.

At their core, this quartet are a clever bunch with a penchant for testing the listeners limits and a lust for tongue in cheek humor. With an array of song titles like "Captain Gaydar Turn On Your Radar" and "Halo Of Pubic Hair And Earwax Manufactured For The Champion In All Of Us", the band clearly show that they aren't going to settle down or mature anytime soon. As such, "Plague Soundscapes" is a spastic blast of violently perforated aural madness. This is arty punk rock meets sci-fi-metal and hardcore set to self-destruct. The only real recurring thread throughout their compositions is the fact that they are nearly all weighted down by either screaming, obscure keyboard noises, or erratic drumming; And it's a rare occasion that each track doesn't possess all 3 qualities in spades.

Nihilistic, fragmented, fierce and just plain disturbed, the band thrash and smash their way through anything put in their path and it is done in such an antagonizing fashion that it is destined to provoke at least 95% of the people that hear it. Blessed by the production of Alex Newport (At The Drive-In, Melvins), this is easily the bands best sounding to release to date in terms of production quality and despite the improved recording values, none of their vehement energy has been sacrificed. It's progressive insanity with tumultuous highs and lows and one would probably have to be locked in a straightjacket for years to fully appreciate everything this band create. But if you need a break from the mainstream, (and by break I mean going on a blood-drenched virtual murdering spree in some 60's sci-fi movie) then "Plague Soundscapes" is the musical disease for you.