It's been 16 years since the release of the jazz-infused Spheres, and throughout this period the legacy of Pestilence has spread through the underground. New generations of fans have grown to appreciate their influence and superb body of work, from thrashing death roots to the incorporation of fusion. To me, they are quite possibly the greatest death metal band ever. Consuming Impulse, now 20 years old, stands as one of the most effective and brutal offerings in all metal music.Resurrection Macabre is a return to form after such a long hiatus, and I could not be happier. When I first heard they were releasing new material, I wasn't sure if they'd be moving 'forward' from Spheres, or returning to reflect an earlier period. It has turned out to be a mesh of their first three albums: the stark brutality and groove of Consuming Impulse, the deceptively simple riffing of Testimony of the Ancients, and the pseudo scientific, sociopath lyrics of Mallevs Maleficarvum. Complete with a modern production standard, a renewed vigor of aggression, and the addition of percussion master Peter Wildoer (Darkane, etc) on the drum kit, this new album simply destroys. It's like an old tank you thought was lost to decay, returning yet again to the warpath for another volley of glorious murder.
"Devouring Frenzy" opens with a brief fluster of blasting mayhem as Mameli vomits forth the song title repeatedly (a trend he continues with many of the tracks, which threw me off until I realized it is somehow intentional). The track is laden in choppy groove riffs reminiscent of early Pestilence. "Horror Detox" is like the rebirth of "Land of Tears" but even more intense. You'll notice that a lot of the songs have very familiar riffing, minor alterations on past tracks, but this would probably only amount to an issue if you didn't enjoy the band to begin with. I happen to fucking love this band, and I accept the consistency here. "Fiend" alternates creepy minor chords with thrashing acrobatics, reminiscent of "Trauma". "Hate Suicide" is again similiar to earlier tracks (from Testimony of the Ancients) but weighted in a sick, grooving afterbirth. "Synthetic Grotesque" and "Neuro Dissonance" again weave the band's proto-thrash/death into frightening compositions which conjure both nausea and neurosis. Intense. "Dehydrated II" is a great sequel track which forges ahead despite some stylistic similarities to the original. The title track is a chugging, lurching track which erupts into some brilliant speed. "HangMan" alternates a frenetic burst with a churning frenzy in the verse. "Y2H" is anthemic brutality. This is a year to hate! Yesss!! "In Sickness and Death" closes the album with another tune similar to material from Consuming Impulse. A raving mad octave slide transforms into an escalating series of breakdowns.
As if the 11 new originals weren't enough, we are also treated to some re-recordings. "Chemo Therapy" sounds sufficienty brutal to match the new material, and it's good to hear with Mameli's vocals, even if it lacks the purist charm of the original. "Out of the Body" sounds quite the same with the exception of the vocals. "Lost Souls" probably fares the best of these three, since it was Mameli to begin with and this is just an update as far as the production. All members of the band excel here. Mameli and Uterwijk have not lost any of the savage and effective axemanship. Tony Choy returns on bass, and Wildoer simply dominates the kit. Assuming this reunion continues, perhaps we could have some van Drunen and Foddis guest spots next time around? The sound of the record is crushing and bright, one of the best I've heard in a long time.
As happy as I am, the album's not 100% perfect. As I mentioned, many of the songs sound familiar. This is by no means a negative trait, but for a band which was constantly breaking new ground in their day, I was surprised. It will be curious to see how this album galvanizes the band's fanbase, since there are those who only enjoyed the fusion jazz of Spheres and might not find this so interesting. Regardless, it's a fantastic reunion album, one of the best death metal releases I've heard this year so far, and thank fuck that Pestilence is back.
Verdict: Epic Win [9.5/10]
http://pestilence.nl/
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