Pessimist Slaughtering The Faithful
Lost Disciple Records 2002
By Russell Garwood
American band Pessimist have released their third album, Slaughtering The Faithful, through Lost Disciple Records. Promising to be their most devastating release to date, it follows debut Cult Of The Initiated, and sophomore album Blood For The Gods, beating both in brutality and sheer ferocity. Featuring a revamped lineup, artwork by Zig, recording by Derrik Roddy and production by Eric Rutan, the band has been very fortunate in terms of the expertise available, and it shows. This brutal death album is well recorded and clear, no single instrument being too prominent.
The guitars create a frantic, savage wall of sound, under which pummeling, frenzied, blast-dominated drums provide a ferocious rhythm section. The numbing, guttural growls and frenetic bass complete the sound a tortuous mass of extremity. While it is clear originality is not high on the bands list of priorities, brutality and violence are; to such an extent that the band avoids the start-stop riffing found in many brutal death bands, instead going for unremitting assaults with occasional discords and solos. There are occasional slower passages with grinding guitars and full-on drumming, which invariably return to heavier sections, while occasional changes in time signature make the onslaughts less monotonous.
There is no doubt this band are accomplished, technical performers. As brutal death isnt my thing, the songs can tend to blur into one and I can find no clear standouts. Hence Slaughtering The Faithful, to my ear, can become monotonous as there is little variation. However, I am sure this is intended, and have no doubt fans of brutal death and those who love the death of a decade ago will welcome this unforgiving record.
Lost Disciple Records 2002
By Russell Garwood
American band Pessimist have released their third album, Slaughtering The Faithful, through Lost Disciple Records. Promising to be their most devastating release to date, it follows debut Cult Of The Initiated, and sophomore album Blood For The Gods, beating both in brutality and sheer ferocity. Featuring a revamped lineup, artwork by Zig, recording by Derrik Roddy and production by Eric Rutan, the band has been very fortunate in terms of the expertise available, and it shows. This brutal death album is well recorded and clear, no single instrument being too prominent.
The guitars create a frantic, savage wall of sound, under which pummeling, frenzied, blast-dominated drums provide a ferocious rhythm section. The numbing, guttural growls and frenetic bass complete the sound a tortuous mass of extremity. While it is clear originality is not high on the bands list of priorities, brutality and violence are; to such an extent that the band avoids the start-stop riffing found in many brutal death bands, instead going for unremitting assaults with occasional discords and solos. There are occasional slower passages with grinding guitars and full-on drumming, which invariably return to heavier sections, while occasional changes in time signature make the onslaughts less monotonous.
There is no doubt this band are accomplished, technical performers. As brutal death isnt my thing, the songs can tend to blur into one and I can find no clear standouts. Hence Slaughtering The Faithful, to my ear, can become monotonous as there is little variation. However, I am sure this is intended, and have no doubt fans of brutal death and those who love the death of a decade ago will welcome this unforgiving record.
