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Personnel:
Moriah Formica – guitars, lead vocals
Ashley Suppa – bass, backing vocals
Faith Powell – drums
Release Date: September 18, 2026
Record Label: Pavement Entertainment
Plush have made a name for themselves in modern rock, and Mass Hysteria sees the US trio taking their sound in a darker and heavier direction. Their second full-length album pushes things further than their earlier work while still keeping the sound that made Plush stand out in the first place.
It’s very hard to listen to this album while doing other activities. The album grabs your attention immediately. It felt a lot heavier and darker than I expected, yet carrying a huge emotional weight behind everything. The vocals move between pure fury and moments where the emotion feels much more personal, and that contrast gives the album a lot of character. There is always something pulling your attention back, whether it’s the heaviness, the vocals, or one of those huge melodies that suddenly lifts the mood. Even at its darkest, Mass Hysteria keeps finding its way back to those uplifting moments, and by the end, it leaves you with a surprisingly triumphant feeling.
If you’re into any of these artists, this album should be on your radar.
The cover art features a dark black-and-white collage of the trio posing for police mugshots over a chaotic background of torn text and scribbles. The whole thing fits the record perfectly, immediately preparing the listener for the darker and more aggressive energy of the tracks inside.
It was really hard to choose the standout track for this record, as one of its best features is the consistent quality of the songs. However, “Bleed Me Out” has a hint of almost everything that makes Mass Hysteria so good. Heavy riffs build into a massive chorus, driven by an insanely good vocal performance. The emotional weight connects perfectly with the aggressive music, with perfectly placed epic growls adding even more to the song.
The music on Mass Hysteria takes a big step into heavier and more aggressive territory, with guitars that hit much harder on tracks like “Bleed Me Out” and the title track. But it’s not just about making everything heavier. The band keeps things interesting by constantly shifting between quiet and heavy moments. “Mass Hysteria” suddenly drops into a soft piano break before slamming back into a wall of sound, while “Where Is My Mind” and “Another Reason” do something similar, starting calmly before building into something massive. The band also changes its pace depending on the mood, going from fast and energetic to slower moments where the thick guitars get to really stand out, like on “Be Real.” And despite all the darkness and aggression, there’s always a balance with bright, uplifting melodies. Songs like “Free Again,” “A Better Place,” and the closer “Releasing Everything” bring that side of the album out and leave it on a genuinely triumphant note.
If the album had a more descriptive title, it would be The Thousand Voices of Moriah Formica. Her vocal range on this record is massive, going from quiet, soft singing all the way to raw growls. Whatever the intensity, her delivery always matches the emotion of the track and the energy of the instruments. On songs like “Open Your Heart” and “Severance,” she uses her softer side to convey deep vulnerability. Then she completely takes over with massive, commanding choruses on heavy anthems like “Animalistic” and “Where Is My Mind.”
Mass Hysteria takes you through a pretty dark place, but brings you back feeling triumphant. The album explores the struggle of facing your darkest thoughts and dealing with everything they leave behind. That darkness is all over the music, especially early in the record, where the chaotic and aggressive sound captures the feeling of panic and inner struggle. But the album is ultimately about making it through. As the tracklist moves forward, the tension starts to break, and the music becomes brighter and more uplifting. By the time you reach “Free Again” and “Releasing Everything,” those huge melodies turn everything that came before into a triumphant ending.
Their debut told us to expect something big, but their second album delivers something even bigger than we expected. Heavier, craftier, full of emotion, and anchored by a premium vocal performance.
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Emotional Struggle – escape emotions through some heavy tunes
Nature – unplugged from the world, plugged into the universe
Working – listen to while working to focus your energy
Creating Art – perfect to enhance your creativty
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