Pestilence
Mind Reflections
[ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
Label: MVD Audio

Punishingly fast, but given to experimentation, Pestilence burst onto the scene in the late 1980s, searing the ears of metalheads with their surprisingly melodic thrash and death metal. Pestilence even mixed in some jazz-fusion sounds, long before Opeth, to add a bit of variety to the proceedings. The band’s versatility and progression is captured on the compilation Mind Reflections, released shortly after the band broke up in 1994. The band apes a few of their influences, Motorhead and Slayer in particular, but always manages to sound like Pestilence in the end. Blazing lead guitars and growled vocals scorch the sky while the barely-in-the-saddle playing of drummer Marco Foddis keeps things uneven — in a good way. Pestilence is actually quite refreshing.

The album is anchored by 10 studio tracks, all remastered, and includes 6 live tracks and a video if you stick the disc in your computer. The studio tracks give the listener just enough consistently-innovative Pestilence to leave the listener hungry for more. The live tracks are superfluous (but showcase a band in top form) and the video is pretty cheesy. But Pestilence wasn’t about imagery - it was about stellar musicianship and good tunes, and that is present on this compilation. -Tim O’Regan