Artist: Pestilence
Label:Roadrunner Records
Release Date: 1991
Rating: 5 Skulls
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Title: Testimony of the Ancients Artist: Pestilence Label:Roadrunner Records Release Date: 1991 Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Requiem's Review:
Pestilence is a name that should surely ring a bell in the minds of those who caught the first wave of death metal in the late 80s/early 90s. Back in the day, death metal bands actually ruled the now nu-metal infested Roadrunner Records. Well, times change, but we do not forget the classic bands that gave us timeless music. And that brings us back to Pestilence, who started out with pure brain bashing intent on their Malleus Malificarum and Consuming Impulse records. Frantic pulverizing death metal was the name of the game, and it was here that the somewhat infamous bassist/vocalist Martin Van Drunen first got his feet wet. But like with most bands, progression was inevitable and it was on Testimony of the Ancients and Spheres where the band really started to create some unique and thought provoking music.Testimony of the Ancients saw the departure of Van Drunen, whose bass duties were taken over by ex-Cynic/Atheist member Tony Choy. Vocals were taken over by guitarist Patrick Mameli, and a keyboardist by the name of Kent Smith was added to the fold. The drastic line-up modifications brought about massive change, one for the better, which saw the band incorporating progressive elements into their sound. The band began to pave a new path of death metal, incorporating elements of jazz, fusion and rock. Slower tempos were brought in to offset the fast ones, and the guitars were noticeably structured around distinctive riffs that were not always centered around speed or technicality. In essence, what they made was an avant-garde death metal album that was unlike any other and a refreshing new leap into uncharted territory.
The album itself has an interesting arrangement, being that it alternates between songs and short interludes throughout the entirety of the album, without the interludes being cumbersome or inappropriate. Each interlude is usually instrumental in nature and allows breathing room between songs. The songs themselves are well written, with great arrangements, infectious riffs and lots of odd-tempo drumbeats. Mameli's vocals are similar to his predecessor's and also have that Chuck Schuldiner rasp as well. Marco Foddis delivers some great beats on this one, really enhancing the riffs. A couple tunes are downright classics on their own, like "Twisted Truth," in which Foddis takes a simple riff and plays a 4/4 beat where you'd not quite expect it. In the end it's one of the heaviest riffs of all time. "Prophetic Revelations" opens up with a cool riff reminiscent of Immolation and proceeds into old school Death territory as a good portion of the album does. "Soulless" is an interlude with Tony Choy tearing his bass a new asshole for 32 seconds, which goes into "Presence of the Dead," which is an outstanding tune with some tasty solos and crafty drum work once again. The last track, "Stigmatized," delves completely into Rush worship halfway through, which was a preview of what was to come on the next album, Spheres.
Testimony of the Ancients is an album that disregarded the present and was peering into the future. It took bands like Pestilence to really open up the gates and show that it was OK to venture off and deliver a totally new sound. And as much as I like Spheres as well, Testimony of the Ancients really showcased the band at their peak. It's here that they kept the aggressiveness of the past albums and incorporated the more prog-like influences that were to follow. And it marks a point where everything was just right on the money and couldn't have come out any better. Fans of Cynic, Atheist, Death and the like will not regret seeking this out.
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