Plea of the Sword

Plea of the Sword: A new face in the scene
Updated: May 8, 2020

WATERLOO, IA - Drummer Jesse Switzer and guitarist Tyler Gallagher kept close after the disbanding of their previous group, Memoir of the Dead, a hardcore act from Waterloo. In September of 2019, Switzer and Gallagher reached out to Quinn Salow of Guilty of Treason to join them as a vocalist. Salow declined, but referred them to his roommate at the time, Joey Williams. Once Williams joined the ranks of Switzer and Gallagher, they became Plea of the Sword.


In early 2020, bassist Danny Little and guitarist Trevor Troupe were brought into the band. According to Switzer, the band name is a way of resembling balance, mainly between religious backgrounds, and this theme also makes an appearance on the band's T-shirt designs. Lyrically, the band seeks to make an impression on their listeners.


"I don't want Plea of the Sword to be a joke band," said Switzer. "I want there to be something of a message offered of hope, solace, compassion, relatability to struggle... I want everyone to know that no matter what you believe in, it's important."



"I want our band to be the one where people want to go see," said Gallagher, "and they're like 'Oh, you know, we can go chill with the band because they're not jerks'."


As for their sound, the band pulls from a variety of genres. However, they all agree on the influence deathcore, metalcore and hardcore have had on their sound. Gallagher feels inspired from bands in the deathcore and metalcore realm, but he also draws from slamming brutal death metal, a genre deeply rooted in hardcore music. Switzer keeps his drumming style close to thrash metal and hardcore, and it is topped off with the heavy deathcore influence in Williams' vocals.


The band does not have any material released, and they were hoping to have a single recorded by now. However, due to the COVID-19 lockdown in Black Hawk County, and the band's general desire to avoid the virus, this debut recording has been delayed. For now, the band did a livestream show on Apr. 5 on their Facebook page. It is unknown whether or not they will continue to livestream shows.


For now, you can like their Facebook page for further updates. - Liam Easley