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Pray for Plagues

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"Pray for Plagues"
Single by Bring Me the Horizon
from the album Count Your Blessings
Released4 June 2007 (2007-06-04)
StudioDEP International Studios
(Birmingham, West Midlands)
GenreDeathcore[1]
Length
  • 4:21 (album version)
  • 4:16 (edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Bring Me the Horizon
  • Dan Sprigg
Bring Me the Horizon singles chronology
"Pray for Plagues"
(2007) 		"For Stevie Wonder's Eyes Only"
(2008)
Music video
"Pray for Plagues" on YouTube

"Pray for Plagues" is the debut single by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. It was released on 4 June 2007 as the lead single from their debut studio album, Count Your Blessings, via Visible Noise and Earache Records.

Background

[edit]

"Pray for Plagues" was released on 4 June 2007, as the band's debut single from their 2006 album, Count Your Blessings.

In 2011, the song was included on the video game Rock Band.[2] The song was featured on their 2015 live album, Live at Wembley, recorded in December 2014.[3] In 2017, Epitaph Records released a compilation album for the band titled 2004-2013, which features "Pray for Plagues".[4]

Composition

[edit]

"Pray for Plagues" was written by Curtis Ward, Lee Malia, Matt Kean, Matt Nicholls and Oli Sykes, while Dan Sprigg and the band themselves handled production. It was recorded at DEP International Studios in Birmingham, West Midlands.[5] Malia recalled writing his guitar parts on the song, noting how the picking style was "really weird" and "all over the place."[6] His playing style on the song includes sweep picking in the D minor scale.[7]

Critical reception

[edit]

Emily Carter of Kerrang! gave a positive response to the track stating, "just listen to that roll-of-barbed-wire-hitting-a-guitar-riff. Deadly, mate, deadly."[8] Merlin Alderslade of Louder noted that the song "still crushes."[9]

Legacy

[edit]

"Pray for Plagues" has been regarded as one of the most beloved Bring Me the Horizon songs by older fans of the band.[1] In 2014, Loudwire ranked the track as the fourth best Bring Me the Horizon song, describing it as one of the group's "most timeless tracks."[10] In 2022, Kerrang! ranked the song as the 14th greatest Bring Me the Horizon song, calling it one of the band's "early standout."[11]

Live performances

[edit]

The group has performed the track many times live throughout 2006 to 2011.[12][13] Sykes has expressed his disdain for performing the song live.[14] On The Downbeat Podcast, keyboardist Jordan Fish, who was not a part of the band during the time of the song's release, revealed that Nicholls also does not like playing the song live because of how his drumming technique has changed over time.[15] However, in 2014, the group performed the song live for the first time since 2011 in London at Camden Underworld.[16] At the performance, the band reunited with former rhythm guitarist Curtis Ward, who left the band in 2009.[17] The band also performed the song with Ward at Wembley Arena in December 2014.[18] The group performed the track in 2019, at The Dome in London.[19] In 2022, the group played the song at their own festival in Malta performing a throwback set and were joined by Alex Taylor of Malevolence.[20] As of 2023, the band has performed the song only five times in the last twelve years.[1]

Music video

[edit]

The music video for "Pray for Plagues" was released on 4 June 2007.[21] The video was directed by Kenny Lindström.[22]

Track listing

[edit]
Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Pray for Plagues"4:21
2."Pray for Plagues" (edit)4:16
Total length:8:37

Personnel

[edit]

Credits for "Pray for Plagues" adapted from the album's liner notes.[5]

Release history

[edit]
Release history for "Pray for Plagues"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various 4 June 2007 Digital download
[23]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Jorge Martins (20 November 2023). "10 Essential Bring Me the Horizon Tracks Proving They May Really Be Metal's New Champions". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Bring Me The Horizon track featured in Rock Band game". Soundsphere. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Live at the SSE Arena Wembley - Bring Me the Horizon". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  4. ^ Chad Childers (15 November 2017). "Bring Me the Horizon's Epitaph Era Celebrated on Hits Collections". Loudwire. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b Count Your Blessings (album liner notes). Visible Noise. 2006. 50-176876-19529.
  6. ^ "The playlist: Lee Malia (Bring Me The Horizon)". MusicRadar. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  7. ^ Lee Malia (6 April 2011). "Bring Me the Horizon Tour Blog: Week 2 - Lee Malia's Gear". Guitar World. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  8. ^ Emily Carter (23 March 2014). "10 Reasons BMTH's Debut Might Not Be That Bad". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  9. ^ Merlin Alderslade (3 January 2018). "Bring Me The Horizon 2004-2013 - Epitaph album review". Louder. Metal Hammer. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  10. ^ Sarai C (29 May 2014). "10 Best Bring Me the Horizon Song". Loudwire. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  11. ^ Sam Law (9 February 2022). "The 20 greatest Bring Me The Horizon songs – ranked". Kerrang!. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Pray for Plagues by Bring Me the Horizon". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  13. ^ Nick DiNatale (23 November 2010). "Review: Alternative Press Tour". Westford Academy Ghostwriter. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  14. ^ Mark Beaumont (7 December 2014). "Bring Me the Horizon review – a raucous rejuvenation of British metal". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  15. ^ "The Downbeat Podcast - Jordan Fish (Bring Me The Horizon)". YouTube. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Watch Bring Me The Horizon perform 'Pray For Plagues' for the first time in years". Alternative Press. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Bring Me the Horizon Reunite With Original Guitarist Curtis Ward For 'Pray For Plagues'". DIY. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Bring Me The Horizon reunite with former guitarist Curtis Ward during Wembley Arena gig". NME. 6 December 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Watch Bring Me the Horizon Play 'Pray For Plagues' Live For the First Time Since 2014". Maniacs. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  20. ^ Will Richards (30 May 2022). "Here's what went down at Bring Me The Horizon's 'throwback' Malta set". NME. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  21. ^ "Bring Me the Horizon: 'Pray For Plagues' Video Posted Online". Blabbermouth.net. 4 June 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Bring Me the Horizon - Pray for Plagues". Organic Level. Kenny Lindström. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Bring Me The Horizon - Pray for Plagues (Single)". Spirit of Metal. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
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