Mastiff - Plague

When Plague hit in February 2019, Mastiff arrived fully armed: this was sludge-metal uncut, pummelling, corrosive, and yet sharply alive. From the first rumble of Hellcircle to the final, sprawling dive of Black Death, Plague doesn’t just knock — it drags you headlong into its mire, and forces you to stay.

Though the album moves fast in places, there’s an uncanny sense of malevolent atmosphere in every pause. Tracks like Bubonic and Vermin grind with punishing weight, while Brainbleed and Quarantine add moments of tension — short, choking interludes that make the heavier blows land even harder. And when Black Death rolls in — over nine minutes of sludge-soaked ritual and creeping dread — it’s not just a finale: it’s a culmination of everything Mastiff had been building toward.

Recorded live at Studio 94 in Hull — whole tracks captured in one take, raw and breathing — Plague wears its production like battle scars. Mixed and mastered with no desire to clean away the grime, the sound fits every twist, every jagged edge. The guitars cut, the drums march, the bass anchors all of it, vocals snarling with misanthropy and fury.

Visually and physically, Plague made its presence known: artwork adapted from a 1637 wax model of “The Plague”, sleeves and printed inners by Dan Dolby, Jim Hodge and Phil Johnson; vinyl variants, digi-pak CDs, limited edition stuff designed to feel like more than just music — a confrontation.

Plague is more than Mastiff’s most aggressive album to that point. It’s a slab of heaviness, a dark manifesto, a record that doesn’t ask politely but demands attention. It solidified Mastiff’s standing in the UK’s heavy underground as a band that understands both brute force and texture — and that can make them both devastating.

1: Hellcircle
2: Bubonic
3: Brainbleed
4: Quarantine
5: Vermin
6: Torture
7: Weep
8: Black Death

Mastiff is:
Jim Hodge - Vocals
Daniel Dolby - Bass
Michael Shepherd - Drums
Phil Johnson - Guitars
James Lee - Guitars

All songs written by Mastiff. 'Black Death' co-written with Matthew Dennett.

Album cover designed by Daniel Dolby and Phil Johnson. Adapted from "Wax Model of the Plague, 1637" - Wellcome Collection.

Recorded live, mixed and mastered by Mikey Scott at Studio 94, Hull.