The Great Stone War

{{more citations needed|date=June 2009}}

{{Infobox album

| name = The Great Stone War

| type = studio

| artist = Winds of Plague

| cover = WoP - Great Stone War (Album Cover).jpg

| alt =

| released = August 11, 2009

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre =

| length = 37:17

| label = Century Media

| producer = Daniel Castleman

| prev_title = Decimate the Weak

| prev_year = 2008

| next_title = Against the World

| next_year = 2011

}}

The Great Stone War is the second studio album by American deathcore band Winds of Plague. It was released on August 11, 2009 through Century Media Records. The album also marks the recording debut of drummer Art Cruz and keyboardist Kristen Randall. The Great Stone War sold 6,300 copies in its first week of release to debut at No. 73 on The Billboard 200 chart. A cover of "Halloween" by Misfits appears as a bonus track on iTunes.

Composition

Winds of Plague described the record as a concept album. Vocalist Johnny Plague states, "The idea of The Great Stone War is that civilization as a whole will digress and in time inevitably end with one final battle. This battle will not be fought with technology but with stone. Over the course of eleven tracks the listener hears about a journey foreseen through the eyes of a heathen in a religious world apocalypse. Even in the world's darkest times you always have to take a step back and see life for what it is and not lose sight of what is most important."{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{rating|3|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1621139|pure_url=yes}} The Great Stone War review.] Allmusic

|rev2 = Ashladan

|rev2score = {{Rating|7|10}}[http://ashladan.be/review/winds-of-plague-the-great-stone-war The Great Stone War review.] Ashladan

|rev3 = Blistering

|rev3score = {{Rating|7|10}}[http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/16781/tempidx/4/menuid/2 The Great Stone War review.] Blistering

|rev4 = Lords of Metal

|rev4score = {{Rating|8|10}}[http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=39382 The Great Stone War review.] Lords of Metal

|rev5 = Zware Metalen

|rev5score = (8.2/10)[http://www.zwaremetalen.com/recensie/13782/Winds-of-Plague-The-Great-Stone-War.html The Great Stone War review.] Zware Metalen

}}

Track listing

{{tracklist

|all_writing = Winds of Plague

|title1 = Earth

|length1 = 1:30

|title2 = Forged in Fire

|note2 = featuring Martin Stewart of Terror

|length2 = 3:35

|title3 = Soldiers of Doomsday

|length3 = 4:06

|title4 = Approach the Podium

|length4 = 3:40

|title5 = Battle Scars

|length5 = 3:25

|title6 = Chest and Horns

|note6 = featuring John Mishima

|length6 = 4:00

|title7 = Creed of Tyrants

|length7 = 2:45

|title8 = Our Requiem

|length8 = 4:14

|title9 = Classic Struggle

|note9 = featuring Mitch Lucker of Suicide Silence

|length9 = 3:20

|title10 = The Great Stone War

|length10 = 4:17

|title11 = Tides of Change

|length11 = 2:25

|total_length = 37:17

}}

{{tracklist

|headline = iTunes bonus tracks

|title12 = Halloween

|note12 = Misfits cover

|length12 = 1:52

}}

{{tracklist

|headline = Japanese bonus tracks (live at Shibuya Club Asia on September 23, 2009)

|title13 = Earth/Forged in Fire (live)

|note13 = featuring Martin Stewart of Terror

|length13 = 4:55

|title14 = Approach the Podium (live)

|length14 = 3:31

|title15 = The Impaler (live)

|length15 = 3:08

|title16 = Reloaded (live)

|length16 = 2:59

}}

Personnel

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

;Winds of Plague

  • Jonathan "Johnny Plague" Cooke-Hayden – unclean vocals
  • Nick Eash – lead guitar
  • Nick Piunno – rhythm guitar
  • Andrew Glover – bass, engineering assistance
  • Art Cruz – drums, percussion
  • Kristen Randall – keyboards, clean vocals

;Additional musicians

{{col-2}}

;Additional personnel

  • Daniel Castleman – production, engineering
  • Tue Madsen – mixing, mastering
  • Brian Lawlor and Ryan Kelly – orchestral arrangements
  • Ash Avildsen – booking
  • Steve Joh – A&R
  • Pär Olofsson – artwork
  • Rob Kimura – layout, design

{{col-end}}

References