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If you ask death metal musicians over the world by what bands they are inspired, the Dutch band Pestilence is one you will hear on a regular basis. Bands like Bolt Thrower and Autopsy were the supporting program in the early nineties. Younger readers who are not very familiar with this band need to do themselves a big pleasure hunting down their first albums; debut 'Malleus Maleficarum', but especially 'Consuming Impulse' and 'Testimony of the Ancient', which are milestones in the death metal history. The band never turned their back on experiment and progress. With their fourth album 'Spheres' they went a bit too fast for a lot of fans, but looking back now, a lot agree that 'Spheres' isn't a bad album at all, in contrary.

For me, this new album tops predecessor 'Doctrine' on all fronts. For starters the production is better and it strikes me that the singing (grunting, growling) of Patrick Mameli sounds lower and less screaming. As a whole it really sounds like Pestilence from start to finish. Difficult riffs, experimental parts, very technical, lots of tempo changes, very heavy and rumbling tempi. The precision in playing and the class of the musicians can be heard on the entire album. Just listen to the drum parts of Australian drummer Dave Haley and new German bass player George Maier, who form the motor of the band. Veteran Patrick Uterwijk (lead guitar) and Patrick enchant one nice riff after another out of their guitar to finish it of. Sometimes there are parts that remind me of the 'Testimony of the Ancients' times and there is nothing wrong with that, because it is still one of their best albums in my opinion.

With this 'Obsidio' the band has recorded the best album since their reunion.

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