Post Description

Here is a late 80s death metal album on par with the debuts of Morbid Angel, Deicide and Obituary. Yet Pestilence are often never thought of as much when thinking about the pick of the crop as far as this style goes. It has a lot of the best elements that made this such an exciting time for death metal but also stands apart from the rest with its own personality and intent. That being also something which death metal was very good at during this time, you could not confuse this band with any other and vice versa.

Dank and murky in its crushing brutality and general focus but also fast and furious together with the shrieking lead work contrasting with interspersed melodic sections and enticing breaks moving through each song. Taken at face value, there is an air of rigid consistency to this but there are a few deviations from the effective formula here, even though it may seem to imply the record is headed down the path of a great start leading onwards toward a stale ending where each song is no different than the next. After sinking in this album does none of that with an alarming catchiness embedded in all the uncompromising and complex playing. There are riffs here easy to pick out and parts that are quick to be anticipated. It breaks up briefly into predominantely lead guitar piece "Proliferous Souls" which still manages to capture that feel they've made at home so far but in a more subtle and morose manner. The haunting rhythm guitar and various effects only add to this interesting track. 

Not nearly as technically minded and progressive as its follow up, "Testimony of the Ancients", but there is still a professional finish to this album. There are moments of experimentation that give a hint of future direction, and the inability to keep them stuck to one set of ideas all the way through. Atmosphere is even attempted within songs to proper effect, slackening off the speed and amplifying the deathly sense that is felt through each devastating track. Martin Van Drunen however, builds the foundations of that feel more than anything else with his guttural roars easily rivalling the most vocally destructive personalities at the time. This album has recently been reissued and is paired with the more refined "Testimony of the Ancients", two that are comparable but definitely contrast noticeably. Any fan of the late 80s/early 90s death metal scene should take heed of my high recommendation of this, and the second album in the set.


Holland
Death Metal


Dehydrated (3:08)
The Process of Suffocation (2:41)
Suspended Animation (3:28)
The Trauma (3:20)
Chronic Infection (3:57)
Out of the Body (4:39)
Echoes of Death (4:16)
Defy Thy Master (4:53)
Proliferous Souls (2:08)
Reduced to Ashes (4:53