Plaguesayer

Plaguesayer was founded in 2005 by current members Billy Boswell (percussion), and Ross Wilhelm (guitar) with the same goal in mind: to create heavy music the way that they wanted it to sound. When the two met and talked for the first time it was obvious that there was common ground in terms of hobbies, musical interests, and not to mention being born on the exact same day. A jam session was planned in the basement of Ross’s place and Billy brought along his friend Tyler Hoban (current bass guitarist) to lay down some low end. Tyler, Billy, and Ross knew that after their first jam session they needed to form a band. Songs were written by the trio in the coming months, and then the search for a vocalist was now officially on. Nameless at the time, the group auditioned more than a dozen sub-par vocalists. The search ended when one day in the fall of 2005 Zack Marsh stepped up to the plate to make a lasting impression on the group not only with his vocal and lyrical ability, but also that he too had the same goal in mind as Billy, Ross and Tyler. In the coming months, five songs were set in stone and the group had thought of a name that would best suit the sound: Plaguesayer.
With a name and a lineup capable of performing live, Plaguesayer played their first show on April 1st 2006 and continued to play small venues throughout the summer. The band still had been auditioning for a second guitarist all spring which ended to no avail. The only notable feat for the newly formed band was earning a 3rd place prize in a battle of the bands in June. When fall 2006 came, bigger shows and opportunities had arisen. The first time Plaguesayer had performed at the largest venue in central Indiana the crowd totaled well over 150; being moderately large for a typical show in central Indiana. By Christmas 2006 the band had some merchandise and played the same venue yet again, co-headlining the 2006 Black Christmas event and selling over three-dozen presale tickets themselves to yield a total attendance of more than 240. This major feat was topped when the band had played the venue the third time for the Year of Desolation CD release show in February 2007, with attendance somewhere around a staggering 270 people. Surprisingly, a total attendance this big is near unheard of in the Indianapolis area these days.
After many discussions, the group decided on auditioning for a second guitarist again just after fall of 2006. To the band’s dismay, they never thought they would find a worthy addition to complete the lineup. Mediocre guitarists were a dime a dozen to the group throughout 2006 until this point. One day the idea of letting the band’s good friend Austin Haddix in was pitched (he had jammed with Billy and Tyler before). The idea lead to an audition, which, in turn, lead to a solidified 5-member lineup. Now armed with a set of brutal and melodic songs such as The Rise and Fall of Sadism, the seven-minute monster 200 Proof, To Devour Oneself, and Purging the Skies (parts 1 and 2) among many other songs totaling to a length of well over an hour of material, the group has plans of a self-titled EP release in fall of 2007 and have plans to expand into becoming a regional act with hopes of ultimately touring the United States and Europe frequently.
Plaguesayer finds it’s strengths as a whole in vocal diversity, sheer technicality of it’s guitar riffs, and near perfect and lightning fast percussion. A rabid and dedicated fanbase has helped ingrain Plaguesayer into the local Indianapolis metal scene not only as a well known band, but to some as an influence and a standard by which other local groups are to be measured. The crowd acts so fierce at a Plaguesayer show that you can almost expect an injury.