Death Metal, oh sweet Death Metal!! I love how you are always there for me in times of need. And in 2018 I need you now more than ever! So when Pyres, the debut full-length from Germany’s PESTILENT REIGN (out now, Rising Nemesis Records/Rebirth the Metal Productions) hit my inbox I was very happy. Nay, I was ecstatic! This is a disc that has it all: killer riffs, brutality in spades, and some serious slams that will make you want to throw someone through a plate glass window. I can hear the influence of certain bands in their sound, but never once do they cross over into rip-off or clone territory, instead choosing to carve their own path.
“You Will Kneel In Piss and Blood” is the first track that jumped out at me. The melody structure is very infectious, and in what will probably be a central theme of this review, the riffs, man!! Oh, and then there’s this really cool dual harmonized lead thing going on that takes a great song and makes it greater. Opener “Martyrs” pretty much kicks your door down like the DEA on a drug raid, then hammers you into submission. “Saviour” is interesting because not only is it the most unique song on the disc, but it’s got an intensity you just can’t make up, or fake. “Ouroboros” goes full steam ahead from start to finish, just cutting through the choppy waters like it’s nothing.
I also thoroughly enjoy “Cleanse the Flesh” more and more each time I hear it. This track is one that should be on everyone’s Death Metal playlists for sure because it is a motherfucking pummeler!! ‘Zealot” has some nifty twists and turns and showcases the individual and collective talents of everyone in the group nicely, while “I.M.T.R.M.” is simply an exercise in old school beatdowns. Again, I can see a lot of windows being broken, and many injuries due to that fact. Closer “Gutter’s Filth” was another instant favorite because the riffs, riffs, riffs, and the overall tone had me blasting this fucker over and over again.
All told Pyres is an outstanding debut. All told PESTILENT REIGN is an excellent band. And all told I really hope big things are in their future, because this record is that damn good. It would be a shame if the rest of the Death Metal world doesn’t see the greatness that is clearly in front of their faces. Pick up your copy now, plug in, blast that shit, and go fucking bananas, yeah?
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Gutter’s Filth”, “You Will Kneel In Piss and Blood”, “Cleanse the Flesh”, “Saviour”
RATING: 9.2/10
