Pestilence (band)
Encyclopedia
Pestilence is a death metal
band from the Netherlands
founded in 1986. Later they incorporated more jazz
and fusion
elements into their music. After disbanding in order to pursue other musical directions in 1994, Pestilence has reunited in 2008. To date, the band has released six albums.
in the mid 1986 as a thrash metal
band. The
lineup, consisting of Patrick Mameli
(guitar, vocals), Randy Meinhard (guitar), and Marco Foddis (drums), recorded two demos before gaining the attention of Roadrunner Records
. After the first demo, Martin van Drunen
(bass, vocals) joined them. These two demos - Dysentery (1987) and The Penance (1987) - are raw, sounding mostly like a cross between Possessed
and Schizophrenia-era Sepultura
. After signing with Roadrunner, Pestilence released their debut album, Malleus Maleficarum, in 1988, further refining their approach to thrash metal. The new material was tighter and more focused than the demos.
Meanwhile, Pestilence recruited a new guitar player, Patrick Uterwijk. In 1989, the band released their second album, Consuming Impulse, a turn toward to death metal
. Musically, things became heavier and more haunting. Vocally, Martin van Drunen moved away from cleaner vocals in favour of a more acidic growl. With its release, Pestilence gained international attention, and became highly regarded worldwide by death metal
fans. But before a follow-up album was released, the lineup changed once again; vocalist and bassist Martin van Drunen departed to front Asphyx
.
and Patrick Mameli took over the vocal duties. With this lineup, they released the album Testimony Of The Ancients. The new material was not as abrasive as the previous albums, but the band's musicianship has obviously grown and the album had the best production job of the band's catalogue.
However, Tony Choy was never a permanent member, and ended up going back to Florida
to eventually play with Atheist
. In the meantime, Pestilence enlisted the talents of Jeroen Paul Thesseling
.
Over the years, the Pestilence members were getting into other forms of music, primarily jazz fusion
which, the band wanted to pair with metal. The band's fourth and final album, Spheres was released in 1993. With every album, Pestilence went through some kind of a change and Spheres was no exception. Pestilence mixed jazz fusion elements into their death metal style, and used guitar synths throughout the album.
Pestilence's popularity had risen with the release of each album, but unfortunately, so did tensions between the members. So after a short period of time, the band unanimously decided to split up, feeling they had reached their creative climax.
re-released the debut album Malleus Maleficarum (which was originally never officially released in Europe
), and included both demo recordings from 1986 and 1987.
In 2006, Metal War Productions, working with Martin van Drunen
, released Chronicles of the Scourge, containing two concert recordings and one unreleased bonus track. The two concerts are Live "Kix Festival" - Veghel, Holland (June 24, 1989) and Live Bochum, Germany (November 18, 1988). A bonus "rehearsal disc" was released with the first 1000 copies.
that Pestilence were back. The reunion line-up consists of Mameli on vocals and guitar, Tony Choy
on bass and Peter Wildoer
on drums. Speaking to Blabbermouth.net regarding his decision to resurrect the band, Mameli had this to say:
In 2008, Pestilence decided to write and record new music for an early 2009 release working with Danish
producer Jacob Hansen. Titled Resurrection Macabre
, it is their first original album in sixteen years (since 1993's Spheres). In March 2008 Patrick Uterwijk re-joined the band as second-guitarist, however he didn't play on the new album.
In October 2009, Jeroen Paul Thesseling
re-joined Pestilence after fifteen years of separation from the band, replacing Tony Choy
's bass position, a move that soon led to his departure from Obscura
.
In March 2010, Pestilence announced their first US summer tour in over 16 years which will begin at Maryland Deathfest at Sonar on May 30.
The reformed Pestilence released another album entitled "Doctrine" in April 2011.
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
founded in 1986. Later they incorporated more jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
elements into their music. After disbanding in order to pursue other musical directions in 1994, Pestilence has reunited in 2008. To date, the band has released six albums.
Early career (1986–1990)
Pestilence started in the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in the mid 1986 as a thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band. The
lineup, consisting of Patrick Mameli
Patrick Mameli
Patrick Mameli is a Dutch death metal singer and guitarist who is best known for his work with technical death metal band Pestilence....
(guitar, vocals), Randy Meinhard (guitar), and Marco Foddis (drums), recorded two demos before gaining the attention of Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
. After the first demo, Martin van Drunen
Martin van Drunen
Martin van Drunen is a Dutch death metal vocalist, who started out in the band Pestilence. In this band, he also performed the bass duties live. He recorded two albums with them, Malleus Maleficarum and Consuming Impulse. After his departure from Pestilence, he joined Asphyx as the singer and bass...
(bass, vocals) joined them. These two demos - Dysentery (1987) and The Penance (1987) - are raw, sounding mostly like a cross between Possessed
Possessed (band)
Possessed is an American death metal band, originally formed in 1983. Noted for their fast style of playing and Jeff Becerra's guttural vocals, they are routinely called the first band in the death metal genre...
and Schizophrenia-era Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
. After signing with Roadrunner, Pestilence released their debut album, Malleus Maleficarum, in 1988, further refining their approach to thrash metal. The new material was tighter and more focused than the demos.
Meanwhile, Pestilence recruited a new guitar player, Patrick Uterwijk. In 1989, the band released their second album, Consuming Impulse, a turn toward to death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
. Musically, things became heavier and more haunting. Vocally, Martin van Drunen moved away from cleaner vocals in favour of a more acidic growl. With its release, Pestilence gained international attention, and became highly regarded worldwide by death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
fans. But before a follow-up album was released, the lineup changed once again; vocalist and bassist Martin van Drunen departed to front Asphyx
Asphyx
Asphyx is a Dutch death/doom band that was formed in Overijssel in 1987.-Biography:The band was formed in 1987 by Bob Bagchus and Tonny Brookhuis. Eric Daniels was found as a second guitarist and Chuck Colli joined on vocals and bass guitar; this line up released the Enter the Domain demo...
.
Success and breakthrough (1991–1994)
Pestilence were faced again with the challenge of replacing a member, being without a vocalist and bassist. So while recording their third album Testimony Of The Ancients (1991), they enlisted bassist Tony Choy, who at the time was playing with the technical death metal band CynicCynic (band)
Cynic is an American progressive rock band, incorporating experimental music, alternative, metal and jazz fusion elements, founded in Miami, Florida and currently based in Los Angeles, California. Their first album, Focus, released on September 14, 1993, is widely regarded as a landmark release of...
and Patrick Mameli took over the vocal duties. With this lineup, they released the album Testimony Of The Ancients. The new material was not as abrasive as the previous albums, but the band's musicianship has obviously grown and the album had the best production job of the band's catalogue.
However, Tony Choy was never a permanent member, and ended up going back to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to eventually play with Atheist
Atheist (band)
Atheist is a technical death metal band from Florida, founded in 1984, whose music combines metal riffs with subtle Latin music arrangements and jazz fusion.- History :...
. In the meantime, Pestilence enlisted the talents of Jeroen Paul Thesseling
Jeroen Paul Thesseling
Jeroen Paul Thesseling is a Dutch fretless bass player, most famous for his work in German death metal band Obscura and Dutch death metal band Pestilence.. He is currently active in Pestilence and his fusion-metal project Nufutic.-Biography:...
.
Over the years, the Pestilence members were getting into other forms of music, primarily jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
which, the band wanted to pair with metal. The band's fourth and final album, Spheres was released in 1993. With every album, Pestilence went through some kind of a change and Spheres was no exception. Pestilence mixed jazz fusion elements into their death metal style, and used guitar synths throughout the album.
Pestilence's popularity had risen with the release of each album, but unfortunately, so did tensions between the members. So after a short period of time, the band unanimously decided to split up, feeling they had reached their creative climax.
Post-breakup (1995–2007)
In 1994, Roadrunner released one last CD from Pestilence: a best-of titled Mind Reflections, containing tracks from all four albums, plus the rare song "Hatred Within" (originally released on the Teutonic Invasion Part II compilation) and six unreleased live tracks recorded in at the Dynamo Open Air Festival in 1992. In 1998, Displeased RecordsDispleased Records
Displeased Records is a Dutch independent record label, founded by Lars Eikema and Ron Veltkamp. The label has many Dutch and other extreme metal bands on its roster, but has also rereleased many classic albums, including albums by Agathocles , Cryptopsy, Infernäl Mäjesty, Sadus, Toxik and Whiplash...
re-released the debut album Malleus Maleficarum (which was originally never officially released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
), and included both demo recordings from 1986 and 1987.
In 2006, Metal War Productions, working with Martin van Drunen
Martin van Drunen
Martin van Drunen is a Dutch death metal vocalist, who started out in the band Pestilence. In this band, he also performed the bass duties live. He recorded two albums with them, Malleus Maleficarum and Consuming Impulse. After his departure from Pestilence, he joined Asphyx as the singer and bass...
, released Chronicles of the Scourge, containing two concert recordings and one unreleased bonus track. The two concerts are Live "Kix Festival" - Veghel, Holland (June 24, 1989) and Live Bochum, Germany (November 18, 1988). A bonus "rehearsal disc" was released with the first 1000 copies.
Reunion (2008 onward)
A long period of inactivity ended in January 2008, where vocalist/guitarist Patrick Mameli told Blabbermouth.netBlabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
that Pestilence were back. The reunion line-up consists of Mameli on vocals and guitar, Tony Choy
Tony Choy
Tony Choy is an American electric bassist. He was a session musician for some well-known technical death metal bands such as Atheist, Cynic and the Dutch band Pestilence...
on bass and Peter Wildoer
Peter Wildoer
Karl Peter Wildoer is a Swedish drummer in the bands Darkane, Electrocution 250 & Grimmark. He has also drummed for the bands Armageddon, Majestic, Pestilence, Silver Seraph, Arch Enemy, Time Requiem, Gardens of Obscurity and Dawn of Oblivion amongst others. He has been tagged to perform sessions...
on drums. Speaking to Blabbermouth.net regarding his decision to resurrect the band, Mameli had this to say:
It's not a reunion, because I will not be playing with any of the old lineup guys, except Tony Choy, of course so... I always stated there WILL NEVER BE a reunion, and there won't be, since I never look back at the past and I refuse now to play with people that are not on the same musical level as I am.
I sang on TestimonyTestimony of the AncientsTestimony of the Ancients is the third album by the Dutch death metal band Pestilence. After each song on the album, there is an outro track. The eight outros range from twenty five seconds to a minute and eleven seconds in length....
and Spheres (two albums later from Consuming ImpulseConsuming ImpulseConsuming Impulse is the second album by the Dutch death metal band Pestilence. It received high regards from death metal fans as soon as it was released. 'Consuming Impulse' is often cited as a high point of original death metal movement...
!!), so no need for Martin. This because of the above statement I just made. Furthermore, Martin is doing other things. Good for him.
So now you have two members that were in Pestilence before and one new guy.
The reason why I bring Pestilence back to life is that people/fans keep asking me for this. The time is right now and Mascot is giving me the opportunity to do so.
As you know, I have always been the driving force behind Pestilence, writing all the music and so forth, so that I can state: I will bring back Pestilence to life. More tech and way more brutal than ever before.
In 2008, Pestilence decided to write and record new music for an early 2009 release working with Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
producer Jacob Hansen. Titled Resurrection Macabre
Resurrection Macabre
-Personnel:*Patrick Mameli – lead guitars, vocals*Tony Choy – bass*Peter Wildoer – drums*Patrick Uterwijk – lead guitars...
, it is their first original album in sixteen years (since 1993's Spheres). In March 2008 Patrick Uterwijk re-joined the band as second-guitarist, however he didn't play on the new album.
In October 2009, Jeroen Paul Thesseling
Jeroen Paul Thesseling
Jeroen Paul Thesseling is a Dutch fretless bass player, most famous for his work in German death metal band Obscura and Dutch death metal band Pestilence.. He is currently active in Pestilence and his fusion-metal project Nufutic.-Biography:...
re-joined Pestilence after fifteen years of separation from the band, replacing Tony Choy
Tony Choy
Tony Choy is an American electric bassist. He was a session musician for some well-known technical death metal bands such as Atheist, Cynic and the Dutch band Pestilence...
's bass position, a move that soon led to his departure from Obscura
Obscura (band)
-History:Obscura was founded in 2002 by Steffen Kummerer. The band was named after the Gorguts album Obscura. In 2006 Obscura self-released their debut album Retribution and toured alongside Suffocation within Europe. A European headlining tour through East and South Europe followed in 2007...
.
In March 2010, Pestilence announced their first US summer tour in over 16 years which will begin at Maryland Deathfest at Sonar on May 30.
The reformed Pestilence released another album entitled "Doctrine" in April 2011.
Current members
- Patrick MameliPatrick MameliPatrick Mameli is a Dutch death metal singer and guitarist who is best known for his work with technical death metal band Pestilence....
– lead guitars (1986–1994, since 2008), lead vocals (1986–1987, 1990-1994, since 2008) - Patrick Uterwijk – lead guitars (1988–1994, since 2008)
- Jeroen Paul ThesselingJeroen Paul ThesselingJeroen Paul Thesseling is a Dutch fretless bass player, most famous for his work in German death metal band Obscura and Dutch death metal band Pestilence.. He is currently active in Pestilence and his fusion-metal project Nufutic.-Biography:...
– bass guitar (1992–1994, since 2009) - Yuma Van Eekelen – drums (2009–present)
Former members
- Marco Foddis – drums (1986–1994)
- Randy Meinhart – guitar (1986–1989)
- Martin van DrunenMartin van DrunenMartin van Drunen is a Dutch death metal vocalist, who started out in the band Pestilence. In this band, he also performed the bass duties live. He recorded two albums with them, Malleus Maleficarum and Consuming Impulse. After his departure from Pestilence, he joined Asphyx as the singer and bass...
– vocals, bass guitar (1987–1990) - Tony ChoyTony ChoyTony Choy is an American electric bassist. He was a session musician for some well-known technical death metal bands such as Atheist, Cynic and the Dutch band Pestilence...
– bass guitar (1991–1992, 2008–2009) - Kent SmithKent SmithKent Smith was an American actor who had a lengthy career in film, theater, and television.Born Frank Kent Smith in New York, New York, Smith made his acting debut on Broadway in 1932 in and, after spending a few years there, moved to Hollywood, California, where he made his film debut in The...
– Session keyboards for Testimony of the Ancients album (1991) - Jack Dodd - Session bass player for 1 tour in 1992
- Peter WildoerPeter WildoerKarl Peter Wildoer is a Swedish drummer in the bands Darkane, Electrocution 250 & Grimmark. He has also drummed for the bands Armageddon, Majestic, Pestilence, Silver Seraph, Arch Enemy, Time Requiem, Gardens of Obscurity and Dawn of Oblivion amongst others. He has been tagged to perform sessions...
– drums (2008)
Studio albums
- Malleus MaleficarumMalleus Maleficarum (album)Malleus Maleficarum is the debut album by the Dutch death metal band Pestilence.- Track listing :- Bonus tracks :Album was re-issued in 1998 on Displeased Records with two earlier demos as bonus tracks:- Demo 1 Dysentery 87 :...
(1988) - Consuming ImpulseConsuming ImpulseConsuming Impulse is the second album by the Dutch death metal band Pestilence. It received high regards from death metal fans as soon as it was released. 'Consuming Impulse' is often cited as a high point of original death metal movement...
(1989) - Testimony of the AncientsTestimony of the AncientsTestimony of the Ancients is the third album by the Dutch death metal band Pestilence. After each song on the album, there is an outro track. The eight outros range from twenty five seconds to a minute and eleven seconds in length....
(1991) - Spheres (1993)
- Resurrection MacabreResurrection Macabre-Personnel:*Patrick Mameli – lead guitars, vocals*Tony Choy – bass*Peter Wildoer – drums*Patrick Uterwijk – lead guitars...
(2009) - DoctrineDoctrine (Pestilence album)Doctrine is the sixth studio album by Dutch technical death metal band Pestilence, which was released on April 24, 2011. The album was recorded and mixed at Woodshed Studio in southern Germany with engineer Victor Bullok...
(2011)