This 1988 debut is another in a long line of forgotten thrash metal classics. It is amazing how a band goes from this to all that shit they released after the second album. This is pretty fast, ripping, tight, and sort of technical. It isn't another "Reign In Blood", but the spirit is there making this a good part of your metal breakfast.

Wicked mix of influences of (I assume) Slayer, Artillery, Kreator, old Exodus/ Metallica, and a just a little bit of death metal for Pestilence to create their own sound. "Malleus Maleficarum" should have been hailed instead of Sacred Reich's "Ignorance" in my opinion (maybe I'm just saying that cuz I'm spoiled and seen Reich play live, but never seen Pestilence in concert, especially when they were amazing like on here, and on "Consuming Impulse"). I would give this a Grade 'A', but I bet some of you might call it second tier thrash. Hell, at least it doesn't suck like Atrophy or Slaughterhouse you bastards!

You'll recognize bassist/ brutal vocalist Martin V. Drunen, he later went on to form an under rated death metal band, Asphyx. Here he's kickass, spitting out a hundred syllables every ten seconds! Ah! Makes me want to get the first two Pestilence demos again, and I'm pretty sure I seen that on CD now! Whoo hoo!

1. 4:12 Malleus Maleficarum/ Antropomorphia
2. 3:48 Parricide
3. 4:18 Subordinate To The Domination
4. 1:30 Extreme Unction
5. 5:17 Commandments
6. 4:48 Chemo Therapy
7. 5:04 Bacterial Surgery
8. 3:18 Cycle Of Existence
9. 1:53 Osculum Infame (instrumental)
10. 4:07 Systematic Instruction

© 2001 mlotek