The American Plague is a four-piece American rock band formed in 2001 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The band was started by singer-guitarist James Dean Brown "Jaw" Alexander after his tenure with Bobby Steele's (formerly of The Misfits) horror-punk group The Undead. Alexander had previously played guitar in punk group The Malignmen, formed in 1995. Due to creative differences, Alexander disbanded the Malignmen in 1999 and left the Undead to form The American Plague in 2001.