WINDS OF PLAGUE, those symphonic deathcore… things… that you probably forgot existed, decided to grace us with their presence at a couple of festivals. Yes, you read that right. They played Louder Than Life (lol) in Kentucky and Aftershock in California, proving that some plagues just refuse to stay buried. They even subjected the poor folks of Joliet, Illinois, to a “special” club show. Because, you know, 2025 needed more reasons to be awful.
So, how did this… reunion… happen? Well, according to Jonathan “Johnny Plague” Cooke-Hayden (yes, that’s his name), they got “asked” to do these shows. 🙄 As if anyone was actually clamoring for more WINDS OF PLAGUE in their lives. Johnny, bless his heart, then reached out to the “original guys” – because apparently, they peaked in high school. “Hey, it’d be really cool to do this,” he allegedly said. I bet it was. Cool for everyone who enjoys cringe-worthy nostalgia and questionable life choices. The “general consensus” is that they “wanna keep doing more.” Please, no. 🙏 We’ve suffered enough. But fear not, they only have two shows planned. For now. So, there’s still hope for humanity.
And what about new music? Oh, don’t worry, they’re “leaning towards” it. Because the world clearly needs more unrecorded tracks from “a couple years ago” dusted off and inflicted upon the masses. 🎶 Nothing’s set in stone, but they’re thinking about “playing a couple more shows, trying to do a couple a year.” Because apparently, once a plague, always a plague.
“We’ve all kind of moved on from the band stuff in our personal lives,” Johnny says. You think? 🤔 “And it’s fun to take a step back into it.” Fun for whom, exactly? “It feels like a former life,” he muses. Maybe it should stay there? “And we’re all just here just for the love of it at this point.” Sure, Johnny. Sure. It has nothing to do with the fleeting chance at reliving their… glory days? 😂
The lineup for this… event… included drummer Art Cruz, who, poor guy, has been stuck with LAMB OF GOD for the past six years. Talk about a downgrade. 📉
Originally formed as BLEAK DECEMBER (how fitting), WINDS OF PLAGUE infested Los Angeles back in 2002. After some shuffling of members (probably due to mass hysteria), they unleashed “A Cold Day In Hell” in 2005. Then, they signed with Century Media and dropped such classics as “Decimate The Weak” (2008), “The Great Stone War” (2009), and “Against The World” (2011), which featured guest spots from members of HATEBREED, TERROR, and even the Ultimate Warrior. Yes, really. 🤼 The rest of their discography includes “Resistance” (2013) and “Blood Of My Enemy” (2017). But honestly, who’s counting? 😴
So, there you have it. WINDS OF PLAGUE is back. Whether you wanted them or not. Get ready for more symphonic deathcore… or whatever you want to call it. Just try to contain your excitement. Or, you know, maybe just run for the hills. 🏃♀️
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
