Cain Culto, a plague, a pestilence | Wacky Wednesday

In the 32^nd edition of Wacky Wednesday (2026), we break down the unique “a plague, a pestilence,” performed by Cain Culto.

Do you know what day it is? It is Wednesday, folks! Do you know what that means? Why, it is Wacky Wednesday! In the spirited column Wacky Wednesday, we analyze and explore unique, unusual, or wacky songs from different genres.  These songs can be new or old; the only requirement is that they ‘catch the ears’ because of their distinctiveness.  With the background established, in the 32^nd edition of Wacky Wednesday (2026), we break down the unique “a plague, a pestilence”, performed by Cain Culto. Wacky Wednesday vibes commence!

That is some deep stuff, Cain Culto (Andrew Padilla).  Fun fact: Culto grew up in Florida and Kentucky and was raised in a Colombian/Nicaraguan household. Also, how about some definitions to clarify those excerpted lyrics? A plague, noun, is defined as (1) a ‘disastrous evil or affliction: calamity,’ (2) an epidemic disease causing a high rate of mortality: pestilence, or (3) a cause of irritation: nuisance. It’s interesting how pestilence slips in there, isn’t it? A pestilence, noun, meanwhile, is defined as (1) a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating, especially bubonic plague, or (2) something that is destructive or pernicious.  Those two words are key to “a plague, a pestilence”. They appear in the title and the first line of the song. “A plague, a pestilence” is the opener from his occulto 002 – EP. Culto and Cary Singer composed it; Culto, Singer, and Nate Young produced it.

In “a plague, a pestilence,” Cain Culto uses ample religious imagery and spiritual references.  It’s no coincidence that there are “Forty nights of flooding, they’ll be forty days of rain” (Genesis 7:4),  with Culto petitioning, “Oh, let it pass over me Lord / See the blood on the doorframe” (Exodus 12:7). Cain continues, with mention of “Armageddon fire skies,” and “Seven weeks of hunger/drought.” He goes on to reference Appalachia along with those Old Testament stories and scriptures. It also coincides with more intensity, a quicker tempo, and a hard-hitting beat. “Run, brother, run up to those Appalachian hills / Flee the pharaohs coming up at your hills,” and later asserts, “The devil is a liar, and he’ll drag you down to hell / He’ll take your name, your money /And your lover as well.”  After conveying powerful lyrics through a powerful vocal performance, “a plague, a pestilence” goes into an instrumental break.  Here, Cain impresses with his fiddling.  Even before the fiddle solo, “a plague, a pestilence” had bluegrass and Appalachian folk vibes.  Given the mention of Appalachia and how much religion plays a big role in that region, it feels right that the fiddle gets its just due. The outro is ear-catching, too, with Cain Culto petitioning, “Oh, Lord / Oh, let it pass / Pass over me.”  The song itself is a masterpiece – one of one. While this is a song that lends itself to more in-depth analysis, it is still best enjoyed and understood through the listening experience itself.   The ambitious and adventurous “a plague, a pestilence” also gets a much-deserved, unique, must-see music video 👀. Cain Culto is special, PERIODT.

---

Cain Culto » occulto 002 – EP » Hive Music » 2026

Cain Culto, a plague, a pestilence: Wacky Wednesday No. 32 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Hive Music; Vitaly Gorbachev from Pexels; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gordon Johnson from Pixabay]

---