2023 remastered reissues of first four Pestilence albums are coming to CD, LP, MC and digital platforms on June 30. Pre-order all titles here.
Malleus Maleficarum is the debut album of Pestilence; a band’s whose input – that stretches across nearly 40 years – blazed the trail for generations of progressive death metal artists.
Every journey has a first step, and Pestilence has taken its in 1986, as a trio comprising Patrick Mameli (currently sole original member; at the time bassist, guitarist and vocalist), Randy Meinhard (guitars) and Marco Foddis (drums). With a 1987 demo “Dysentery” to their name, they were joined by Martin van Drunen, who took over vocal duties from Mameli; and, who - similarly to Mameli - is nowadays the sole original member of Apshyx. The fourpiece recorded a second demo, The Penance, and then moved onto completing the material for Malleus Maleficarum, which surfaced a year later, in September of 1988.
The album was originally released in cassette on RC Records (a sub-label of Roadracer Records, which later changed name to Roadrunner Records) and today, stands firmly as a monument of early-day death metal heavily mixed with thrash. Malleus Maleficarum’s history traces back to the beginnings of the genre; the album preceded Death’s Leprosy by a month, while Morbid Angel was yet to release its first album.
A must-have for all Pestilence fans, and a perfect looking glass into the dawning of a legendary group!
Commented Patrick Mameli: “As we were still very young and unexperienced with recording an album in a studio, trying to find our own style, we managed just fine here. Very Thrashy style with some hints to Possessed, Slayer and Infernal Majesty.”
Tracklisting:
"Malleus Maleficarum / Antropomorphia"
"Parricide"
"Subordinate To The Domination"
"Extreme Unction"
"Commandments"
"Chemo Therapy"
"Bacterial Surgery"
"Cycle Of Existence"
"Osculum Infame"
"Systematic Instruction"
Consuming Impulse (1989) was the beginning of all things great for Pestilence. The album marked Pestilence’s shift from intense and raw-sounding thrash – as seen on 1988’s Malleus Maleficarum - to heavier, more haunting and then-buzzing death metal. Not only then-singer’s Martin van Drunen's (Asphyx) vocals turned to acidic growl; Pestilence was boosted into international recognition, being at the forefront of the scene with Death, Obituary, Sepultura, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower and Autopsy.
The album was recorded at Music Lab Studios in Berlin (Germany) and originally released in October 1989 with van Drunen on vocals (his second and last album with Pestilence), Patrick Uterwijk on guitars (he replaced Randy Meinhard shortly after the release of Malleus Maleficarum), Marco Foddis on drums, and, finally, Mr. Pestilence himself: Patrick Mameli on bass and guitars. Initially issued in CD on now closed RC Records (a sub-label of a company known today as Roadrunner Records).
Consuming Impulse marked the band’s progression towards pioneering technical death metal music; a sub-genre, that Pestilence had been successful in both crafting and expanding, alongside Death, Atheist and Cynic. Widely-regarded as a “cult classic”!
Commented Patrick Mameli: “This album feels like the European answer to Death's Leprocy, showing of the first signs of the now typical Mameli style riffing and morbid melody lines. After a quick learning lesson, v. Drunen was able to shift from his Malleus voice to the now distinctive voice he has. Thank me later.”
Tracklisting:
"Dehydrated"
"The Process Of Suffocation"
"Suspended Animation"
"The Trauma"
"Chronic Infection"
"Out Of The Body"
"Echoes Of Death"
"Deify Thy Master"
"Proliferous Souls"
"Reduced To Ashes"
After releasing the now-timeless classic Consuming Impulse in 1989, Pestilence was faced with the necessity of replacing a notable member – vocalist Martin van Drunen - following his departure to pursue a career with Asphyx. The band found themselves at the crossroads with an uneasy task, given the success brought about by Consuming Impulse. As it turns out, the decision to revert to Patrick Mameli as vocalist not only stood the test of time, but, in hindsight, gave birth to a trademark ingredient of Pestilence’s core sound formula. To make things even more interesting, Mameli stepped away from playing bass – from now on assuming the double role of guitarist/vocalist - and enlisted Tony Choy (of Cyinc at the time), adding another famed name to the line-up, and another anchor point for the band’s inventive nature. Alongside Patrick Uterwijk (guitars) and Marco Foddis (drums), they recorded Testimony of the Ancients (1991) at the legendary Morrissound Studios (USA), where it acquired a refined production, courtesy of Scott Burns.
Testimony Of The Ancients is regarded as a progressive death metal classic from the originators of the genre. In comparison with the first three Pestilence albums, the material wasn't as abrasive, the musicianship matured, and the band’s previously found, innovate, technical accretions, rose to new, ingenious levels. At the time of the album’s release the demand for Pestilence elevated as never before and entailed massive touring; noteworthy is the band’s lauded performance at the Dynamo Open Air Festival from that period.
Commented Patrick Mameli: “Seen as one of the most influential albums from that timeframe, I felt, for the first time, I was freed from influences from other big D.M. bands, as my style was now a free interpretation of my brainchild that is Pestilence.”
Tracklisting:
"The Secrecies Of Horror"
"Bitterness"
"Twisted Truth"
"Darkening"
"Lost Souls"
"Blood"
"Land Of Tears"
"Free Us From Temptation"
"Prophetic Revelations"
"Impure"
"Testimony"
"Soulless"
"Presence Of The Dead"
"Mindwarp"
"Stigmatized"
"In Sorrow"
Spheres (1993) broke the mold at a time the metal scene wasn’t ready to appreciate its uniqueness or recognize its future impact. Underestimated at first, the bold conjunction of jazz fusion and progressive/technical death metal, trailblazed by Pestilence, had eventually been lauded as a move ahead of its time, and had influenced a lot of bands, including Gorguts, Necrophaigst and Obscura.
The album was recorded at studio Arnold Mühren in northern Netherlands and originally released in CD format in May 1993 on Roadrunner Records. Its line-up consisted of Patrick Mameli on vocals & guitars, Jeroen Paul Thesseling (who replaced Tony Choy and joined Obscura) on bass, Patrick Uterwijk (Pestilence: 1989 – 2013) on guitars and Marco Fodis (Pestilence: 1986 – 1994) on drums. Dan Seagrave’s (Morbid Angel, Entombed, Suffocation) first cover artwork was rejected by the band and replaced with its second iteration, featuring a different depiction of the sphere object. Mameli wished for it to resemble the sphere found in Testimony Of The Ancients (1991) artwork.
Upon street date, Spheres divided the band’s fanbase, with only some recognizing it for the stroke of genius it was. The record left Pestilence dormant for over ten years, until 2009’s Resurrection Macabre (if not to count a “best off” album issued by Roadrunner Records and several other re-releases, many of which saw daylight without the band's awareness or consent).
Commented Patrick Mameli: “Spheres was, and still is, an important release since it introduced the guitar synth as a true instrument in our musical tools arsenal. It helped us shape this album with a new pallet of colours. Only Cynic was doing something similar, but Pestilence took it beyond and created new musical dimensions. Also the musical approach of songwriting and lyrics made it that Pestilence took a big risk at that time. Now, for some fans this is their most favorite album. Funny how things evolve in time.”
Tracklisting:
"Mind Reflections"
"Multiple Beings"
"The Level Of Perception"
"Aurian Eyes"
"Soul Search"
"Personal Energy"
"Voices From Within"
"Spheres"
"Changing Perspectives"
"Phileas"
"Demise Of Time"
(Photo - Marc van Peski)
