Blood for the Gods

Pessimist are unequivocally American death metal and nothing else. I suppose I could try to namedrop some “influences” now, but that would be ultimately pointless. Suffice it to say that they’ve probably been listening to every American death metal band that really matters, but they haven’t copied any of them. I wouldn’t compare them to any specific band.

These guys have not got a great deal of use for frills but they’re nevertheless adept enough in their style to steer clear of monotony. The guitar riffs indicate some appreciation for thrash, but not complete faithfulness – the riffing switches from relatively straight grooves to alienated atonal tremolo to suggestions of dark melody within the space of moments. Drumming follows suit, largely sticking to blast beats but adapting to its surroundings as necessary, and miracle of miracles, the bass is audible and has a few opportunities to shine. Vocalist Rob Kline has sort of an unusual growl – hard to describe exactly how it’s distinct… the lyrics are relatively audible but his voice is so throaty it almost sounds as if he’s not moving his jaw. Anyway, he shows off a fair range, from somewhat low all the way down to subterranean, and in addition, guitarist Kel McLaughlin provides some suitably ear-shattering screeching back-up vocals.

So it’s fairly brutal, and it’s pretty technical, the production is quite good, it’s got some flashy solos, it’s got every other thing you’d expect from a quality death metal album… but none of that argues for Pessimist’s superiority over countless similar bands. The band’s real strength is in their focus on quality songwriting and their subtle melodic talent, their overall natural fluency in the genre – qualities very difficult to adequately describe in print. So, to an extent, you’re just going to have to take my word that these guys run circles around your average rank-and-file unapologetic death metallers, or do the smart thing and hear their music for yourself.

I will say that what’s kept me coming back to this album is the fact that each song is memorable and distinct and the album as a whole is varied while remaining faithful to its true priorities. For instance, prepare yourself in advance for the final song, the surprisingly melodic “Wretched of the Earth”. The usual last-track surprise on a death metal album might be some kind of ambient or acoustic track; Pessimist instead give us a real, full-blown song (not an outro) that stands apart from the rest of the songs while fitting right in with them and capping the album off in the best possible. Expect the same brand of gimmick-free creativity from the rest of the album as well.