By: Navjot Kaur Sobti
Igniting the legendary death and thrash sectors of metal in 2010, a seeming period of nonstop metal resurrections, is the re-emergence of Pestilence. Set to hit the stages this coming summer, after almost 15+ years of silent repose– zero tours or releases – the group broke their silence with 2009’s Resurrection Macabre, and just recently, with a new track, entitled “amGod.” An early rehearsal recording, featuring just “drum and guitar parts,” the band wished to share a small piece of their upcoming release, which is due later this year.
After having forged a pathway from all things thrash, death, and progressive during an era of grunge and glam rock, it was a severe disappointment for headbangers worldwide when Pestilence ultimately splintered, back in ’94, explaining that they had reached their “creative climax.” So, when, in 2008, the band resurfaced (with a significantly altered lineup, most notably the absence of Martin van Drunen), frontman Peter Mameli expressed that “it [was] not a reunion, because [he] would not be playing with any of the old lineup guys, except Tony Choy,” and that the “reason why [he brought] bring Pestilence back to life was that people/fans kept asking him for this.” So, why not recruit the old bandmates? Mameli “refused” to play with anyone “not on the same musical level as himself:” a pretty bold statement to be made towards the now absent founding fathers of the band (i.e. van Drunen), who currently split their time between their own death metal progeny: everything from Asphyx, Obscura, to Atheist (to name a few). All changes aside, the current Pestilence lineup consists of:
Patrick Mameli – Guitar/Vocals
Jeroen Paul Thesseling – Bass
Patrick Uterwijk – Guitar
Yuma Van Eekelen – Drums
It is with Mameli’s determination to deliver and surpass all expectations that he added that “[he] has always been the driving force behind Pestilence,” and that he would, indeed, “bring back Pestilence to life…More tech and way more brutal than ever before.” Currently in the studio writing for the band’s upcoming release, he has stated the “new material will sound…way different from the previous albums, and is going to top all previous Pestilence material.” Utilizing an “eight string” RG2228-GK, a “six-string fretless” bass, and “off-beat drumming,” he has enthusiastically promised that the record will dish out a super “technical…ultra brutal and fast” trip that will “maim your ears and brains.”
You can catch Pestilence this summer, as they will be embarking a 17-day tour, alongside Warbinger, Vital Remains, Enfold Darkness, and Sacrificial Slaughter. Sharing the stages with fellow reincarnated metal titans – Gorguts and Autopsy– their tour will kick off on May 30th, in Baltimore, a.k.a. the site of Maryland Deathfest 2010.
The band’s tour dates are as follows:
May 30 – Sonar – Baltimore, MD (Maryland Deathfest) *
May 31 – Club Mosaic – Chattanooga, TN **
Jun. 01 – The Bar – New Orleans, LA **
Jun. 02 – Emo's – Austin, TX
Jun. 03 – Ridglea Theater – Ft. Worth, TX
Jun. 04 – Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
Jun. 05 – Club Red – Tempe, AZ
Jun. 06 – Ramona Mainstage – Ramona, CA
Jun. 07 – Ultra Violet – Los Angeles, CA
Jun. 08 – DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
Jun. 09 – Satyricon – Portland, OR
Jun. 10 – Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
Jun. 13 – Station 4 – St Paul, MN
Jun. 14 – Reggie's – Chicago, IL
Jun. 15 – Mod Club Theater – Toronto, ON **
Jun. 16 – Les Foufounes Electriques – Montreal, QC **
Jun. 17 – Gramercy Theater – New York, NY
Until then, you can get a fresh serving of Pestilence by checking out “amGod,” which is up on the band’s Myspace page.
