To paraphrase The Who, meet the new Plague -- same as the old Plague.

East Tennessee rockers The American Plague return to Knoxville on Monday for their first in-town show in months, showcasing a slimmed-down lineup and a few new tunes destined for an upcoming album.

After starting out as a three-piece, the Plague recently parted ways with second guitarist and fourth member Scott Oxendine, meaning the band is back to its original lean, mean fighting-machine form.

"I wish I could give you a big soap opera of a story, but there really wasn't that much drama involved,'' Plague bassist Dave "Dammit'' Hamblin told The Daily Times this week. "Basically, I think Scott had a lot of stuff going on in his personal life, and I think both sides agreed to go our separate ways. He likes to play heavy metal, which is respectable. He liked our songs, but he wanted to branch out and do his own thing. He's a phenomenal guitarist, and he's going to do great with whatever he decided to do.

"We just decided about a month ago when we came off tour that since he wasn't digging what we were doing, it was time to go back to being a three-piece. I love what we did with him -- I don't look back at this last album now that he's out of the band and dislike it at all. I think it's phenomenal.''

Apparently, so do the guys who run Dr. Cyclops Records, a Salt Lake City-based label that's re-releasing the Plague's most recent album, `"God Bless The American Plague,'' released locally back in January. That's just one of several things the members of the Plague have in the works, Hamblin said.

"We actually just signed another licensing thing with them last week, and we're going to be on a four-band split record with other bands like The Independents, Die Monster Die and one other,'' he said. "The whole idea behind it is that the whole split is going to be a story, and each band is going to contribute to a part of the story. We'll probably go in and record that early next year.

"Right now, our main focus is the re-release, and we're in pre-production for the next record. We're about a quarter of the way through writing the songs, and we're solidifying what's going on with that.''

The members of The American Plague -- Hamblin, bassist Alex "Jaw'' Weatherly and drummer Tilmon Navare -- have been playing live, both together and in other outfits, for almost 15 years. Weatherly is a former member of the punk band The Malignmen and the horror-rock trio The Undead; Hamblin co-founded the thrash-metal four-piece Nocturna and Navare tore up Tennessee throughout the 1990s as part of the doom-rock group Galaxie.

The Plague formed in 2001, and although Weatherly and Hamblin are the only remaining original members, the group has remained true to its roots -- a viscous musical brew made up of Motorhead, The Stooges, the New York Dolls, Black Sabbath and The Ramones. It's turbo-charged and flammable, and the band's 2001 self-titled EP was just a taste of the thunderous sounds on "God Bless The American Plague.''

Local fans have long debated what genre to file the group's music under, but according to Weatherly, there's just one that really matters -- rock `n' roll. From the opening chords of "Sympathy for the King,'' the band peels off one metallic barrage after another. It's not down-tuned doom metal, nor is it head-thrashing speed metal -- it is what it is, and from the outset, "God Bless The American Plague,'' like the band itself, simply rocks.

"With the new record, we're really going back to simplifying the music,'' Hamblin said. `"The songs are in-your-face. They have hooks that draw you in, but it's got this rawness to it, this spirit of bands playing in New York back in the '70s, like The Stooges. We're not teaching a math lesson, and we're not showing off -- we're just playing rock 'n' roll.

"And now that we're down to a three-piece again, the sound is a little bit meaner. When you have two guitarists, it's much easier for either guitarist to sit back and let the other guy carry the load for a little bit. With a three-piece, it makes you hit harder, and whether you're in the studio or on stage, it's going to make you produce more. I think a lot of people may have been drawn to us when we started out because of that, so going back to a three-piece wasn't that big of a deal.

"There were a few songs we had to kind of rework, and everyone in the band had to step up, but downscaling wasn't a shock to us,'' he added. "The bottom line is that we started as a three-piece, and that's what we've gone back to, and for us, we're happy all the way around.''

The Daily Times 5|13|05 -- Maryville, TN
SPREADING THE SICKNESS: The American Plague unleashes a new dose of rock 'n' roll fury
by Steve Wildsmith

In the often cutthroat world of a college music town, there are few bands that rise above the slag heap of local rock to carve out a niche for themselves that might just serve as the springboard to something bigger and better.

Locally, a few bands have done it -- 10 Years, Copper, Robinella and the CCstringband have all landed major-label deals in the past couple of years. Given the overwhelming number of bands in East Tennessee, however, the odds are slim.

The members of The American Plague, however, could care less about the odds. In fact, they'd just as soon take a sheet of gloomy statistics and use it to wipe the sweat from their collective brows after one of their head-shredding rock shows.

Oblivious to naysayers, haters and trends, the guys in The American Plague -- singer/guitarist James Alex "Jaw'' Weatherly, drummer Tilmon Navare, guitarist Scott Oxendine and bass player Dave "Dammit'' Hamblin -- are poised to sweep out of Knoxville like the hordes of the conqueror Genghis Khan, laying waste to musical convention and running roughshod over crowds hungry for something that shakes them to their very core.

"The thing about us is that we have a theory that if you think you're a local band, you'll stay a local band,'' Hamblin told The Daily Times this week. "If you think, `We'll play at the same old places and play the same old music and record in the same old garage,' that's what you're going to do. If you're in it just for fun, that's cool, but if you're doing this for your life and music is your blood, then you've got to get serious about it.

"For us, our standards are extremely high. When we're in our jam room, we make sure everything is tighter than hell, because we want to show we love the music before we think about ever setting it to tape or playing it for fans. We set our standards high when we first formed, and we decided then that we're not going to be just a local band.''

The band's new album, "God Bless The American Plague,'' may be the catalyst the propels the group beyond the boundaries of East Tennessee. Already, the guys are putting together a national tour to reach out to those "pockets'' of hard-core fans around the country, Weatherly said, and thanks to a distribution deal with Cargo Records, the new album is getting noticed.

"We've always been a touring band, and we don't want to stagnate,'' Weatherly said. "We're not out there trying to be what I consider `smart rock' -- we just go out and play and play loud and fast. We're not there to make you rethink a math formula or teach you a chemistry lesson.''

The members of The American Plague have been playing live, both together and in other outfits, for almost 15 years. Weatherly is a former member of the punk band The Malignmen and the horror-rock trio The Undead; Hamblin co-founded the thrash-metal four-piece Nocturna and Navare and Oxendine tore up Tennessee throughout the 1990s as part of the doom-rock group Galaxie.

The Plague formed in 2001, and although Weatherly and Hamblin are the only remaining original members, the group has remained true to its roots -- a viscous musical brew made up of Motorhead, The Stooges, the New York Dolls, Black Sabbath and The Ramones. It's turbo-charged and flammable, and the band's 2001 self-titled EP was just a taste of the thunderous sounds on "God Bless The American Plague.''

Local fans have long debated what genre to file the group's music under, but according to Weatherly, there's just one that really matters -- rock 'n' roll.

"I don't know, man -- I came up on punk rock, and my old bands were more strictly punk, but like Scott, our guitar player, and Tilmon -- they came up on Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden and old-school metal,'' Weatherly said. "What we do is really a mixture. I don't know any way to describe it other than three or four avenues coming together to make music.

"It sounds stupid to say that, but dude, I don't know what to tell you. I love punk rock, but I know we're not punk rock. We're just not that style. I mean, it's hard to sell it to some punk kid, because it's not punk, not really, and the traditional metal-head is going to listen to it and say, `This isn't metal.' Well no s----, I never said it was.

"This band, my whole goal was to do something that crossed genres, similar to Motorhead,'' Weatherly added. "Everybody from all walks of life shows up at a Motorhead show. To me, that was the goal in a lot of ways, because I didn't want to alienate people based simply on my particularly close-minded style of music that I like.''

From the opening chords of "Sympathy for the King,'' the band peels off one metallic barrage after another. It's not down-tuned doom metal, nor is it head-thrashing speed metal -- it is what it is, and from the outset, "God Bless The American Plague,'' like the band itself, simply rocks.

That's something that a lot of local fans already know. The band has sold out The Pilot Light three times and opened for such national acts as Nashville Pussy and The Cramps. With that broader exposure, Hamblin said, the band members discovered a whole new outlet of fans that are now Plague-afflicted.

"When we opened for Lo-Pro, we thought, `This is a modern rock band, and our fans listen to Sabbath and Motorhead and The Ramones,''' he said. "We weren't used to playing to that kind of crowd, but they loved us. They were such a cool crowd and so into the music.

"Each time we played there, our crowds got bigger and bigger, and now the cool fans we've had the whole time are still there, and on top of that is this faction of people we didn't even know we had who are coming out in droves to see us.''

With "God Bless The American Plague,'' Weatherly and Hamblin hope new fans will discover what Knoxville already knows -- that The American Plague is primed to blow the local rock scene wide open and infect other towns with some hard-core rock 'n' roll devastation.

"We're doing a full U.S. tour for this album, and I think it'll bring in a lot more people,'' Weatherly said. "I think people that liked the first record will like this one. It's more aggressive than anything we've ever done, that's for sure.

"We're not kidding ourselves -- it's not the Black Album or `Sgt. Pepper.' It's not going to change our lives. But I think it's the start of something big. I think we've got a few good albums in us, and I think the next two albums are going to be real style definitions for us.''

"If you're in a band, and you're serious about it and this is what you want your life to be, you better have some high standards,'' Hamblin added. "We aren't a BS live band. We put our ass on the line on stage every time we play, and when you see us, it's as much energy as you're going to find anywhere.''

Knoxville News Sentinel 4|24|04 -- Knoxville, TN
Plague has to bang hard to live up to its boasts
by Jer Cole

Regardless of your feelings on the members' rock-star attitudes, you have to admire the passion of the American Plague. The band thrives in performances, where it labors to back up its many boasts.

With the group's credentials it's easy to see where the boisterous ego comes from. After achieving high acclaim with bands including The Malignmen and The Undead, American Plague vocalist Jaw opted to go on a rock 'n' roll adventure with his new project, selecting two ex-Galaxy members to shape his vision. With a style best described as "Southern punk metal," the American Plague has not forgotten its punk-rock heritage.

"The band is a rock 'n' roll onslaught with a tinge of punk," says bassist Dave Dammit. "It's what would happen if you took Iggy and the Stooges and Motorhead and put some New York Dolls in there and threw in some CCR."

The American Plague realizes that the backbone of a good show is interaction. The Plague gets the audience involved early on.

"It's our philosophy that a band has to go up there with their (expletive) out and just (expletive) go ape-(expletive)," explains Dammit. "Give it your all - 200 percent - every show. My goal is for every (expletive) in that club to leave remembering the American Plague."

As always, confidence breeds criticism. To an assortment of naysayers, the American Plague points out and frequently condemns the trendy styles adopted by other local acts, and challenges those performers to be true to their roots.

"The American Plague is the baddest (expletive) rock band in Knoxville, Tennessee," asserts Dammit. "There's a lot of (expletive) that goes around about us. I always hear, 'They think they're rock stars.' It's jealousy. People think I'm arrogant. Maybe I am (expletive) arrogant. I'm proud. This band is my drug. When I get on stage, and we (expletive) blow the crowd away, that's a high. This is a band not to be (expletive) with. This is a band that's bringing something they ain't never seen."

While the American Plague has a 7-inch split with Cleveland's Hellvis featuring the single "Alabama Tough Love," the band is hard at work recording songs for its full-length debut. Tracks will hit the radio in a month, but the album will not be made available to the public until late summer. After having time to get acquainted with each other's styles, the band has developed a precision that has allowed it to evolve considerably while maintaining its original rock 'n' roll flavor.


The Daily Times 12|20|02 -- Maryville, TN
American Plague to sweep into Old City
by Steve Wildsmith

In these terrorism-phobic days, don't be scared off when you hear American Plague is hitting the Old City club Blue Cat's, in Knoxville.

It's not a disease; it's a band -- although your ears may need time to recuperate after the band's show tonight with fellow rockers Skeybone. Described as "a fresh take on late '70s rock with punk sensibility and a metal soul,'' American Plague describes itself on its Web site as "equal parts Motorhead, The Stooges, NY Dolls and Black Sabbath,'' with "a little Ramones'' added in.

Along with lots of volume. It's a glorious independent rock show, and guitarist and singer Jaw knows the indie scene well enough to give local music fans a heaping helping of the rock'n'roll they crave.

That's because Jaw cut his teeth in a couple of independent bands, Knoxville's own The Malignmen and The Undead, a legendary horror-rock outfit from New York City featuring a former member of The Misfits.

"When we got started in late 2000, I was playing drums for The Undead, and I wanted to do something besides play drums, but the songwriting outlet wasn't there,'' Jaw said. "I started writing songs and [bass player] Dave Dammit and I got together, started playing and went from there.''

After the band's original drummer left the group, former Galaxie sticks-man Todd Bryant was recruited. In the meantime, American Plague has kept up a feverish touring pace across the Eastern Seaboard and the Midwest, building up a loyal fanbase in the way that workaholic indie bands know how to do.

"I don't really know any other way to do it unless you've got money,'' said Jaw of the band's do-it-yourself work ethic. "That's the way it's been with any other band I've been in -- they've all toured and been successful in their own way, but we've never had a label backing us, which can bring its own set of problems.''

As a member of The Malignmen, Jaw felt, like many fledgling musicians did, that a label deal was necessary for a career playing music. It took playing with The Undead to see just how beneficial being an independent band can be.

"Back then, I was desperate for a label, because I thought we were never going to make it unless we were signed,'' he said. "But once you're in it for a few years, you see labels come and go faster than bands do.

"Really, a good band just wants a label for licensing and distribution purposes. You put out your own [stuff] and just basically rent them the master tapes for a period of years, then you get them back and have control of your music.''

Right now, the group is still touring on the strength of a split seven-inch and another EP, but the group wants to hit the studio in March to work with local producer Seva, who's worked with everyone from Dolly Parton to Superdrag, to start recording a full-length record.

After it's in the can, Jaw will shop it around for a couple of months, but if the labels don't nibble, that's OK. The band will put it out themselves, like they plan on doing anyway.

"We just work constantly, and we're pretty firm that if we get people to see us live and come to the shows, they'll enjoy it,'' Jaw said. "And the only way to do it is just to play and play and play and just hope people show up, and they don't always do.

"But if the band can really connect with the audience, that's more than about 95 percent of the bands out there can do. And we try to do that. When we play, we try to put on a show.''


The Jambar, Youngstown State University 4|04|02 -- Youngstown, OH
Bands live on the edge while on the road
by BJ Lisko

On a clear, frigid Monday night in Youngstown, 35-year-old rockabilly musician Dexter Romweber takes the stage at the Nyabinghi.

Guitar in hand, Romweber finishes his first song of the night to a deafening silence. A few hoots and claps suddenly break the tension, and Romweber proceeds with the rest of his set.

It's by far the coldest evening of a winter that's worked its way into the first week of March. The Nyabinghi slips into the loneliness of a frozen night, so bitterly cold it hurts to breathe in the crisp, calm air.

Romweber is nearly finished with a nationwide tour and on this night performs to only a handful of punk rockers and neighborhood drunks.

"This is the only life I know," said Romweber after his set. "For a few years I got away from music, and I just missed having the guitar in my hand and amp by my side."

Romweber has had some ups and downs throughout his career, which has spanned nearly two decades. However, his persistence is testament to a love; some call it an addiction to rock 'n' roll. Romweber is not alone.

"Touring is something I've always wanted to do, as long as I can remember, and I feel lucky to be able to do it," said Swampass drummer Jake Pope.

Formed in Charleston, Ill., in the late 90s, Swampass has had its share of experiences on the road. Typically donning lipstick, eye shadow, panty hose and dresses, Swampass have cross-dressed and pierced eardrums all over the United States, and at 21 years old Pope already knows and loves the touring life.
"We've played for a couple thousand people, and we've played for our girlfriends," said Pope. "It's just a blast for us to play, so we just rock out and have fun no matter how many people are there."

Pope continued saying life on the road isn't all fun but in the end is worth it.

"Sometimes it's tough to load the van at 3 a.m. when you're plastered, and sometimes sleeping on people's hardwood floors plays hell on my back. I just can't think of a better life, though, than doing something you truly love forever."

Jaw, the gravel-throated, sideburn-wearing vocalist of Cincinnati's own The American Plague, knows the ups and downs of life on the road as well, but like Romweber and Pope, ultimately enjoys the opportunity to take his music to cities all over the country.

"Checking out different cities and seeing new places is the best part of touring for me," said Jaw.

"We recently had two days off in the way out West, so we stopped off in Roswell, N.M., to check out the International UFO Museum and crash site. Now, when else but on tour would I ever end up in Roswell N.M.? Probably never, and that's what's so cool about being on the road. You find yourself in a lot of places that you would never expect to be."

Jaw said he keeps a positive outlook even though certain aspects of touring can get him down.

"Shady promoters, knuckleheads in the crowd, van breakdowns, being broke and seeing stuff I want to buy, missing my friends and family back home," are all downsides to touring, Jaw said.

"You really have to try hard not to let the bastards get to you. [However] the good times always seem to eclipse the bad stuff," he said.

Members of The American Plague have the same attitude as Swampass when it comes to live shows, making sure to give it their all no matter how many people are in attendance.

"If there's only 10 people, you've gotta play like there's a thousand," said Jaw. "It's certainly not their fault no one else came to see you."

Playing rock 'n' roll for the people is a recurring theme for most rock bands. Addiction to rock not only comes from the musician's side but from the fans' side as well.

On their way to Chicago, travelling through downpours in their van, the JJ Paradise Players Club members wonder if they'll see a sunny day anytime soon.

"It seems like it's been raining for days," said guitarist Joel.

He explains on his cell phone, though, that rain or shine, "the focus of touring is really on the people."

"We get to see a lot of people we wouldn't otherwise see when we're on the road. Our concerts, no matter how many people are there, are just like parties among friends."

The main trait he and his band mates and their fans have in common, said Joel, is that they all like music that rocks.

Rock 'n' roll is a phrase that has taken on many different meanings, but one of those is rebellion, against authority and against society.

Touring is the ultimate rebellion from the American dream. There are no 9-to-5 workers among the touring pack - no 2.3 children, with a little, cozy house in the suburbs.

While most people are asleep, musicians like Swampass, The American Plague, JJ Paradise Players Club, and Dexter Romweber are up making their living on the road, playing their music.

Like Mick Jagger said, "I know it's only rock 'n' roll, but I like it."

Vans, bars, bad weather, shady promoters and all, most rock 'n' rollers on the road wouldn't have their lives any other way.


The Daily Beacon 2|15|02 -- Knoxville, TN
Plague to invade Pilot Light
by Sarah Sherburn

The American Plague is bringing its brand of rock and roll to the Pilot Light tonight.

The band combines elements of bands like Motorhead, The Stooges, Black Sabbath, and the Ramones to create its style of 1970's influenced punk rock.
The Plague has been playing since late 2000, however, each of its members have had succesful previous endeavors. Jaw (guitar and vocals) was one a member of punk band The Malignmen and played drums with New York horror-rock trio The Undead. Drummer B.J. Fontana jammed with other musical projects.

The band relased a self-titled EP in August 2001 and is currently on its national Tough Love tour. The song "Past the Machine" is featured on WNFZ's Southeast Exports 3 CD.

The band is from Knoxville, so the members hope there will be lots of friendly faces in the crowd.

"We like to play for our friends, and we don't get to do that too often. We usually play out of town, so it's nice to be able to drive 10 minutes, instead of 10 hours, and be at the club," Jaw said.

The show starts at 9PM with a $5 cover at the door.


The Knoxville News Sentinel 9|14|01 -- Knoxville, TN
Plague pumps out infectious punk jams
by Kevin Saylor

While the Plague is relatively new on the scene, guitarist and lead vocalist Jaw played and toured with punk group the Malignmen for four years in the mid- to late-'90s. After the Malignmen parted ways, Jaw went on to play drums in a New York hardcore band called the Undead, led by former Misfit Bobby Steele.

"The Malignmen and the Undead toured together and so I knew Bobby from the Undead," says 24-year old Jaw over the telephone from the basement of his Knoxville home. "What happened was Bobby didn't have a band, so the bass player and drummer for the (Malignmen) would play with Bobby.

"When I joined (the Undead) I was thinking that it was going to be unstoppable," he continues. "This was a band that was established. We were able to get shows just about anywhere. After joining I realized the reason it wasn't successful was Bobby. I don't know if he didn't have the drive to do it or what. But we were only touring about a month out of the year. It was OK on one hand, when we were actually doing something. It was a little too professional though because we didn't live in the same town. We'd all just meet in Knoxville to practice before going out on tour."

Midway through 2000, Jaw left the Undead. Shortly afterward he put together a four song demo tape, singing and playing guitar, bass and drums himself. He called his creation The American Plague.

Jaw met B.J. Fontana, American Plague drummer, at Pellissippi State, sold him a demo tape and recruited him to play in the band. Jaw and Fontana then brought in Dave Dammit, 19, formerly of local thrash-metal band Nocturna, as bassist.

Finally established as a threesome of like-minded musicians, the band began recording its recently released EP.

"We recorded the thing in May," says Jaw matter of factly. "It was kind of cool because in the Malignmen and Undead we recorded. It took a week to do those. It took forever. With this we rehearsed for like a week and recorded in two days. Most of the stuff is first takes. We recorded it at Underground Studios in Seymour.

"It's done pretty well so far. It came out on (Aug. 28). We've sold a lot through our Web site (www.PlagueUSA.com). We have a decent sized mailing list from playing around the Southeast, and that's helped."

Saturday The American Plague will hold its official CD release party at the Old City's Pilot Light. The show starts at 9 p.m. with special guests New Orleans' The Dirty Knives and Atlanta's The El Caminos.

And after that?

"We're booked up for about six weeks at the beginning of October and the first two weeks of November," says Jaw. "We've got some dates in Nashville, Cleveland and North Carolina. We're going to try to go to California and also maybe do a European thing. I went there on vacation and made some good contacts. They're a little more receptive to decent music in Europe. It's interesting because over there they actually play music they like. It's not determined by a computer, at least not yet."


Metro Pulse 5|10|01 -- Knoxville, TN
The American Plague spread their, ahem, infectious rock 'n' roll
by Matthew T. Everett

A big Marshall stack sits in one corner of the Sequoyah Hills basement where the American Plague meets twice a week to practice, obscured by a sparkly-red drum kit marked with a boldly-lettered "TAP" logo and a silver thunderbolt, both borrowed from the late-model Elvis' "Taking Care of Business" emblem. In the opposite corner there's a washing machine and dryer, with economy-size cartons of powder detergent on top, underneath a pair of Jolly Roger flags hanging from the water pipes. A black Gibson Flying V guitar rests against the amp, beside a work bench cluttered with tools and plastic skulls and a tiny Godzilla and cartons of canned cat food. A few empty bottles of New Knoxville beer are scattered around, as are a greater number of empty plastic water bottles. The basement is officially the domain of lanky lead singer Jaw's mother, but the band seems intent on slowly taking it over with the relics of their stripped-down, proto-punk rock 'n' roll lifestyle.

Shaggy-haired bassist Dave Dammit is sitting on top of the dryer, the heels of his battered Converse sneakers tapping on the door of the front-loading appliance, his duct-taped bass leaning next to him. Jaw and drummer B.J. Fontana (yet another tribute to the King, a deliberate takeoff on the name of D.J. Fontana, E.'s drummer through the 1970s) lounge on small stools on either side of a large wooden support beam. Jaw has just broken another string on his Flying V—the third one this afternoon—and grumbles under his breath as he puts a new one on.

"Pretty much all I do is the band," he says, looking up briefly from his fretboard and pointing out the costs of flyers, T-shirts, recording, booking shows, and the snappy little buttons the band had made. "It's a lot of work. I put all my money into the band."

Since forming the appropriately-named Malignmen a few years ago, a foursome who toured the country but eventually gained enough of a local reputation for rowdiness to bar them from most rock clubs in town, Jaw, 24, has devoted most of his time and energy to his musical projects. It all started inauspiciously enough—"I bought my first guitar and amp from a kid who needed $50 to buy some pot," Jaw says—but he eventually landed a spot behind the drums with the legendary New York hardcore band the Undead, led by former Misfit Bobby Steele.

"I had a good time, too," Jaw says. "But it was more like a job. Bobby didn't live here, so I'd rehearse the songs here in the basement and then go out and tour. I toured America with them, the East Coast, the West Coast."

But he eventually tired of punk rock as a time-clock-punch gig, so he dropped out and began working on his own as the American Plague. The earliest incarnation of the band was simply Jaw; he recorded a short demo tape last spring, playing drums, guitar and bass and singing on three rough-cut original songs and a bristly cover of David Bowie's "Suffragette City."

At the time, Jaw was taking an art class at Pellissippi State, and B.J., a slim and innocent-looking 21-year-old who also plays drums for local indie-popsters Geisha, was taking a jazz drumming class in the next room. Jaw recruited him into the Plague, and the two settled on Dave Dammit, at 18 already a veteran of several local metal garage bands, as their bassist.

They've refined their sound since then, at least as much as raw and dirty rock 'n' roll inspired by the Damned and the Stooges and Motörhead can be polished.

"From the shows we've played out, I don't think I've heard a band that sounds like us at all," Dammit says. Some of that confidence can be attributed to 18-year-old bravado, but there's not been much else on the local scene as punchy as the Plague's straight-ahead riff rock in a while. Song titles like "Past the Machine" and "Alabama Tough Love" and "Chain Gang" indicate something about the character of the American Plague's music, but there's also a pop element to their sound, the kind of precipitous sing-along hooks that Jaw evidently picked up with the Undead. "Pop music with balls," as he describes it.

The band's only played a handful of local shows, mostly at the Pilot Light, but they've also played in Nashville, Lexington, and Athens, Ga., and have a long list of out-of-town gigs set for the summer, highlighted by a series of shows in Florida, opening for metal up-and-comers Burner.

By the end of the summer, they plan to release their first CD and then head out on an extensive club tour.

"I don't know how far it'll go," Jaw says. "We won't be on MTV, but that's not what I want. I'd like it if we could just be an underground band, so that we don't have to deal with anybody telling us when to tour and when to go into the studio, but when we do tour, we can count on a couple of hundred kids showing up."

New York Waste 11|10|01 -- New York, NY
The American Plague EP
by The Sleazegrinder

Like some black windowed hearse slicing through a midnight land of neon maniacs, The American Plague is all about sleazy late night thrills hung on a skeleton of grease rock. There is a palpable sense of Blue Velvet styled decadence at work here, the sultry crooning of a man with a tail backed up by his Satanic Mechanics. Glenn Danzig and Johnny Thunders on the set of a Mexican snuff film? Pretty close, yeah.


All Music Guide 2001
The American Plague EP
by Brian O'Neill

There are only two degrees of separation with the American Plague, as the band's singer, Jaw, played drums in Undead, the post-Misfits vehicle for Bobby Steele. The Misfits are a logical starting point for his latest group, as the Knoxville trio proffers spunky punk with a ton of melodies (though never in the Epitaph mold at all; more like Pegboy if they were pissed) and a great vocalist who can sing as well as scream. This eponymous seven-song EP is catchy, energetic, and about as original as three-chord mania will ever get. Highlights include the raucous choruses of "Landmine" and "I Want It All," and the bouncy bass interplay of disc closer "The World Is Doomed."


Creative Loafing 4|24|02 -- Charlotte, NC
The American Plague
by Samir Shukla

Trio of punkers by way of Knoxville, TN, rake in many elements, including glam, hard rock and "in the garage" free-for-alls, and put them into the blender of adrenaline-charged rock & roll. It's simple, rocking and frightfully fresh, as the crunch and munch of guitar/bass/drums digs in and stays in. Their self-titled E.P. from last fall answers all queries as the spirits of the Stooges and Motorhead live on.


The Independent 3|21|02 -- Santa Barbara, CA
THE AMERICAN PLAGUE: Rock 'n' roll music at its finest.


Creative Loafing 2|21|02 -- Athens, GA
Frighteningly sharp, loud and heavy rock stuff. The Knoxville trio -- fronted by singer/guitarist Jaw, who played alongside former Misfit Bobby Steele in The Undead -- plays a toxic, fist-clinching hybrid of punk rock and metal in the vein of Iggy, Misfits, Naked Raygun, and Gluecifer.


The Spectator 2|17|02 -- Raliegh, NC
As it was told to me, there are only two degrees of seperation here, as the lead vocalist of American Plague, a fella who goes by the name Jaw, used to be the drummer for the New York City horror punk tri Undead, of which Bobby Steele of the Misfits was also a member. They claim to mix 70's rock with punk sensibilty and metal soul . . . OK, OK, just please don't make me think about metal soul again.


Free Times 2|02|02 -- Little Rock, AR
WANT IT LOUD?
The American Plague, from Knoxville, Tenn., promise to make it loud for rock'n'roll fans at Vino's Brewpub on Saturday Feb. 2. The Plague members cite everything from Wesley Willis to Bowie as influences.


Creative Loafing 1|16|02 -- Charlotte, NC
A trio from Knoville, TN spews forth punk rock; there are plenty o high fives with Motorhead, Stooges, and Ramones, along with raw 70's glam sentiments. It's basically a case of yelling "One, two, three!" into the mic and kicking in fast and furious American rock & roll with all the bone0crunching intensity that goes with it. The dudes have been busy playing with many outfits, including Jaw in the Undead, but clearly have an agenda of their own.


Metro Pulse 1|03|02 -- Knoxville, TN
Eye On The Scene CD Review -- The American Plague

Perhaps the most astonishing thing about the American Plague's new local CD release is that it impacts with all the raw-throated and hurtling fury of the band's live show—which is as highly charged and visceral as that of any band in town nowadays.

Birthed by guitarist Jaw, formerly of local roughhouse punkers the Malignmen, the Plague exhibit plenty of punk attitude, with sounds and moves snatched from the Misfits, the Clash, even metal-era solo Danzig—the latter especially in singer-guitarist Jaw's hoarsely anguished vocals. Mostly, though, their surging anthems of discontent come off as straight-rock-no-chaser, harsh and direct and stripped of any floridness or pretense. From the headlong pummel of the opener "Past the Machine" to the epic build-up-and-release catharsis of the disc-closing "The World Is Doomed" (the feel-good song, natch), the Plague's bawling intensity abates nada.


Sponic Zine #8 12|25|01 -- Dayton, OH
Self-titled E.P. review -- 4 out of 5 logos
by John Wenzel

This short, self-titled EP reintroduces a much-needed element to the current punk world: a sense of respect for what came before. The American Plague create serious music that doesn't take itself seriously, recalling the spirit of late the 70's New York scene.

Mindless corporate pop masquerading as punk has inverted that in recent years. It's shitty music that takes itself WAY too seriously, only to come off as another bad joke. The American Plague are definitely in it for the rock, and by association, the broken-bottled, fist-pumping fun. But they have an implicit respect for the conventions of punk, a respect that implies integrity in the face of so many current punk wannabes and vapid MTV whores.

The American Plague has been variously likened to Motorhead, The Ramones, the New York Dolls and The Misfits. I guess these comparisons are accurate, but they don't quite get at lead singer Jaw's unique voice. It's a mix of talented restraint, as on "Past the Machine," and swaggering, balls-out howling ("Alabama Tough Love"). Imagine a speed-driven metal band with better taste in riffs and an unrelenting drive for hook-laden songs, and there you have it.


Nashville Scene 10|25|01 -- Nashville, TN
8 Days Picks: Critics' Picks for Oct. 25-Nov. 1 -- The American Plague
by J.R.

On their self-titled E.P., this Knoxville power trio kick in the doors with axes blazing, banging out primordial three-chord punk-metal with a maniacal energy and tautness that offsets the sense of been-there-done-that. Singer/guitarist Jaw served with former Misfit Bobby Steele in New York horror-rockers The Undead; bassist Dave Dammit played with the thrash outfit Nocturna; and the drummer has the awesome name B.J. Fontana.


Nashville Rage 10|27|01 -- Nashville, TN

Cleverly described as "Motorhead in a fistfight with the New York Dolls," these punk rock spirits from Knoxville are a welcome punch in the face compared to the teen pop fluff that passes as punk today.


Columbus Alive! 10|18|01 -- Columbus, OH
Bilabial Fricative: Pick of the Fric
by Brian O'Neill

The American Plague might not have a great name -- since many people are getting more than they bargained for in the mail these days -- but we can't blame the Knoxville trio for world events conspiring against them. The band does get blamed, however, for kicking my ass on its self-released and self-titled seven-song disc.

You can hear the reverence for old-school punk rock in every song, and vocalist Jaw has a powerful voice that's gritty without having to scream. He sounds like he used to sing in a metal band, and that's not meant as an insult. The most amazing facet of the band's sound is that it's far removed from the Epitaph school of spunky punk, yet the riffs are catchy without being poppy, retaining a raw, somewhat dangerous feel. Kinda like Pegboy if they were more nihilistic, or Kiss if they were really from Detroit.


The Other Paper 10|18|01 -- Columbus, OH

Particularly drug-addled critics describe the American Plague as "a fresh take on late 70's rock with a punk sensibility and a metal soul." Yo, pass that shit, dog!


Neu Futur 5|20|01 -- Lancaster, OH
American Plague -- Daemos -- 4 song demo -- 2000 Jaw/Plague Records
by James McQuiston

This Tenneseean band is old school punk at a high speed that also draws heavily from the 70’s metal supergroups. All parts of the Plague are fleshed out quite well, except for the bass, which is on a pitifully low level on the tape. The vocals are top rate, with strong guitar riffs and driving drumbeats. The recording is amazing even with the cassette format and even impresses me more with the band’s name scribbled right on the tape. Jaw’s vocals on “Tough Love” are top-rate, with a very catchy chorus in an already infectious song. Unfortunately, the vocal level on the song is a minute bit low-no big complaint tho. This demo tape will run across the same problem that seems to befall many of the best bands out there today, and that is not lasting for long enough. I simply want more, and hope that the American Plague’s CD will come out soon, as I am blown away by this tight 3-piece act. Keep in mind that this band is relatively new to the music scene, being formed in early 2000, but as their press sheet says, “don’t let the newborn status fool you into thinking there any amateurs here”. With some cleaning of the general sound of the American Plague, they would be perfect for pop-rock radio, as they simply have that much talent. 3 words for this: Buy this tape!. Its short, but its worth it. Get a hold of them at The American Plague, PO Box 10911, Knoxville TN, 37939 USA.
Rating : 8.2 out of 10


Nashville Rage 4|26|01 -- Nashville, TN
"The American Plague play serious, no-apologies punk with a teeth-gnashing metal edge."


Flagpole Magazine 3|28|01 -- Athens, GA
-- The American Plague --
Loud 'n' nasty rock and damn roll trio from Knoxville. The band thrashes and trashes growling vocals, amphetamine-boogie rhythm and gnarly guitars for a sound that falls between Motörhead and the New York Dolls with a dash of classic Misfits thrown in just to be nasty. Hell, yeah.


Metro Pulse 1|18|01 -- Knoxville, TN
-- The American Plague Daemos --
Everything about this four-song cassette screams "1983!" For one thing, it's a cassette, with the title scrawled directly on the tape with a magic marker. For another, the homemade cover art—a nice rendering of an open book with the outline of a human skull on the front of it—looks just like the kind of stuff I doodled on my Trapper Keeper during home room. But more than anything, it's the prototypical old-school hardcore captured on the tape that gives it that high school-era feel. Most of this new project is the work of Jaw, formerly of the rudely-reputed and now defunct Malignmen (who probably hold the Knoxville record for being banned from local venues). Daemos is much like the Malignmen—four-chord metal riffing at a serious, deliberate pace, with brain-crushing intensity and gruff, to-the-point vocal delivery. Three original songs appear on the tape, all with typical (and slightly ponderous, I have to admit) hardcore themes apparent in the titles—"Doubt," "Tough Love," and "Man's Burden"—plus a good cover of David Bowie's "Suffragette City." It's not a classic, and Daemos' devotion to old-school sounds may seem out-of-date. But there should always be a place for this.


Weekend! 4|21|00 -- Knoxville, TN
Jaw, formerly of Knoxville's mean ol' punk outfit The Malignmen, has just released "Daemos" by his new project, The American Plague. All the instruments and vocals on this red four-song cassette were recorded by Jaw himself, and it sounds way better than anything i ever heard from The Malignmen. Jaw reports he is playing drums for New York City's The Undead and in his spare time is looking for some Knoxville musicians for the American Plague.
-- Shannon Stanfield