The war of re-releases has begun! After Metal Mind Productions mailed their contacts about this rerelease, Displeased Records mailed a newsletter that they have the one and only real re-release with the 2 demos included. Having both releases, I can leave one in the car: problem solved! Metal Mind Productions’ version of this classick album will be sent as a limited digipack and a booklet with liner notes. Can’t say it’s all that special, but the music on the gold disc really makes it worth your money.
Pestilence is more known for their ‘Consuming Impulse’ and ‘Testimony of the Ancients’ albums and their journey from old school Death Metal towards technical fusion jazzy Death Metal. But it all started with ‘Malleus Maleficarum’, Pestilence’s debut which is more towards Thrash than the Death Metal of the aforementioned albums. The Death/Thrash of this album can be best described as a mixture of Possessed and the fury of early Kreator. But still, you can already hear quite some hints of the later and more technical Pestilence.
Funny thing is the resemblance with Kreator’s ‘Extreme Aggression’ during the ‘Extreme Unction’ track: you almost hear the same kind of vocal line. Only this album was released in 1988 and ‘Extreme Aggression’ in 1989. And of course this all sounds like a real treat for the old school Death/Thrash fan with Patrick Mamelli’s great guitar work and Martin van Drunen’s sick vocals. The 2 different faces of Pestilence can be heard with the more Thrash driven ‘Parricide’ and the ‘I can already hear the later Pestilence’ track ‘Chemo-Therapy’ (love the chorus!), but believe me: you will growl along with both!
The first pressing, the Displeased re-release or the Metal Mind Productions one? Or maybe seeking the vinyl version on several trade homepages? Who cares! It’s not about which one, it’s all about having at least one!
