The Plague (American band)
Encyclopedia
The Plague was a hardcore punk
band
formed in Cleveland, Ohio
by Bob Sablack. They were part of the second wave of punk rock
music
and toured extensively throughout the United States
and Europe
, recording several EP
's.
John Korosec of his previous band The Defnics on drums and Duke Snyder, the younger brother of his best friend who lived down the street, on bass
, with himself on guitar
and vocals. Influenced by bands such as Discharge
and The Stooges
, the three recorded an eight-song demo
almost immediately.
They played nearly every venue in Cleveland and Kent
, and went through several vocalists before recruiting Mike Duncan of Agitated for vocals in 1985. That same year, they attempted to record their masterpiece, but showed up to the studio too drunk to play and didn't record anything else for a while. Finally, in 1987, after much insistence from The Pagans
' Mike Metoff, the Plague hit the studios, recording Just Say No. The record got a glowing three-sentence review in Maximumrocknroll that would send them on their way to a European tour.
Swedish
record producer
Stefan Wicklander heard the single and wanted to sign The Plague. They accepted, and Wicklander produced a split LP
called Distortion Head with Swedish band Rosvette (Ass Sweat), a tour promotion single "Unresting Place" and The Plague's full LP Chain Sawng Massacre.
Additionally, the Plague and their fans are often credited with having introduced and popularized the slang term "sick," which has recently entered mainstream usage.
, where they had the biggest following outside of the Cleveland area. They were the first band from Cleveland's second wave of punk
to tour Europe, The Dead Boys
and Pere Ubu
having toured there a decade
early during first wave of punk. The Plague's song "Nazi Submarine" was always a crowd pleaser. But when the band toured Germany
, they decided to drop it from their set list, fearing it might offend audiences. When they got there, however, the crowds screamed for "Nazi Submarine" everywhere they went.
recordings as well as some previously unreleased recordings were released in a two-volume set entitled Thumper, which is also downloadable.
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
formed in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
by Bob Sablack. They were part of the second wave of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and toured extensively throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, recording several EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
's.
History
The Plague started out in October 1982 as a three person band. Bob Sablack recruited his cousinCousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
John Korosec of his previous band The Defnics on drums and Duke Snyder, the younger brother of his best friend who lived down the street, on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, with himself on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and vocals. Influenced by bands such as Discharge
Discharge (band)
Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal...
and The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
, the three recorded an eight-song demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
almost immediately.
They played nearly every venue in Cleveland and Kent
Kent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
, and went through several vocalists before recruiting Mike Duncan of Agitated for vocals in 1985. That same year, they attempted to record their masterpiece, but showed up to the studio too drunk to play and didn't record anything else for a while. Finally, in 1987, after much insistence from The Pagans
The Pagans
The Pagans were an early American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio that was originally active from 1977 to 1979 before briefly reforming in 1982 and disbanding the following year...
' Mike Metoff, the Plague hit the studios, recording Just Say No. The record got a glowing three-sentence review in Maximumrocknroll that would send them on their way to a European tour.
Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Stefan Wicklander heard the single and wanted to sign The Plague. They accepted, and Wicklander produced a split LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
called Distortion Head with Swedish band Rosvette (Ass Sweat), a tour promotion single "Unresting Place" and The Plague's full LP Chain Sawng Massacre.
Additionally, the Plague and their fans are often credited with having introduced and popularized the slang term "sick," which has recently entered mainstream usage.
European tour
The band proceeded to tour EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, where they had the biggest following outside of the Cleveland area. They were the first band from Cleveland's second wave of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
to tour Europe, The Dead Boys
The Dead Boys
The Dead Boys were an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. Among the first wave of early punk bands, the Dead Boys were initially active from 1976 to 1979, briefly reuniting in 1987, 2004 and 2005.-Formation and 1970s punk rock era:...
and Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group from Cleveland, Ohio.Père Ubu may also refer to:* Ubu, the enigmatic central figure of a series of French plays by Alfred Jarry, including Ubu Roi, and subsequent plays Ubu Cocu and Ubu Enchaîné...
having toured there a decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
early during first wave of punk. The Plague's song "Nazi Submarine" was always a crowd pleaser. But when the band toured Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, they decided to drop it from their set list, fearing it might offend audiences. When they got there, however, the crowds screamed for "Nazi Submarine" everywhere they went.
Demise
The Plague recorded one final session in 1990 before calling it quits. Nearly twenty years later, all of their vinylGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
recordings as well as some previously unreleased recordings were released in a two-volume set entitled Thumper, which is also downloadable.
Discography
- Just Say No
- Distortion Head
- Unresting Place
- Chain Sawng Massacre
- Thumper, Volume 1
- Thumper, Volume 2