Pestilence

Having started off as thrashers in 1986, Dutch outfit Pestilence gained notoriety in the early '90s as death metal warriors. With their fourth album, 1993's Spheres, main man Patrick Mameli and company pushed the limits of the genre by moving into more progressive territories with a heavily jazz-influenced style, which was met with mixed feelings. Obsideo marks the band's seventh album and third release since returning in 2008, following a 15-year hiatus. While 2009's Resurrection Macabre was a brutal death assault and 2011's Doctrine saw the band delve back into the world of jazz-fusion, Obsideo finds an even balance somewhere between the two. Joining Mameli and longtime guitarist Patrick Uterwijk are two new recruits, bassist George Maier and drummer Dave Haley (Blood Duster, Psycroptic, the Amenta). The result is a focused release, featuring equal parts brutality and progressive technical elements. Heavy, chugging rhythms and intense, double-kick blasts are abundant throughout Obsideo, which is anchored by Mameli's dark, grimy vocals. "Displaced" and "Soulrot" include crushing riffs reminiscent of early Pestilence releases Consuming Impulse and Testimony of the Ancients, while "Laniatus" features brilliantly odd tempos, jazzy guitar leads and graceful solos. With excellent musicianship and well-structured songwriting, Obsideo combines the best of both of Pestilence's worlds.