{"product_id":"839905","title":"Pestilence - Spheres  [VINYL]","description":"Brand New From Reputable UK Company With 30 Years Experience In Retail, Please Note Not All Our New Items Are Shrink Wrapped.\u003cbr\u003eAll items shipped within 3 working days of payment.\u003cbr\u003ePlease note that all our DVDs are Region 2.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe 4th album by Dutch Death Metal legends Pestilence gets a well deserved re-issue!\u003cbr\u003e'Spheres', the fourth and final album by the original lineup of Dutch death metal legends Pestilence, is one of the most criminally\u003cbr\u003emisunderstood and underrated albums in the history of (extreme) metal. Largely reviled at the time of release, the bad reaction\u003cbr\u003ewas demoralizing enough for mainman Patrick Mameli to split up the band and keep it on ice for around fifteen years. In the\u003cbr\u003etypical fashion of idiot trendy music journalists and fickle metal listeners to not recognize something groundbreaking for what it\u003cbr\u003eis until well after the fact, 'Spheres' has been given something of a critical re-appraisal the last few years. One could actually\u003cbr\u003eclaim it is a a direct source of inspiration for many progressive extreme(r) Metal band these days.\u003cbr\u003eThe early 90s was a time of enormous change in death metal. The basic formula wasn't cutting it anymore, and many bands\u003cbr\u003ebegan to branch out into strange new territories. Death did it, Atheist did it too. so did Cynic, and of course, so did Pestilence.\u003cbr\u003e1991's 'Testimony of the Ancients' had already displayed a noticeable shift in style for the band. The songwriting became much\u003cbr\u003emore technical, and also more open to the use of textures and atmosphere. It was one of the most impressive albums of its era,\u003cbr\u003eyet the change wasn't quite obvious enough to alienate hardcore death metal fans just yet.\u003cbr\u003eOf course, 1993 was a prime year for groundbreaking death metal with albums such as Death's 'Individual Thought Patterns'\u003cbr\u003eand Cynic's 'Focus' blowing minds left and right we imagine. Although 'Spheres' is not as stunningly intricate as either of those\u003cbr\u003ealbums are, it is arguably the most unusual. The actual songwriting is largely quite straightforward, with basic and easy to follow\u003cbr\u003elayouts. The strangeness mainly comes from the bizarre riffing and Mameli's ever more demented soloing, and the guitar synths.\u003cbr\u003eThis should have been the album to take Pestilence over the horizon, but sadly it wasn't to be. The predictable reaction of a lot\u003cbr\u003eof the band's fanbase saw to that. For many back then, Pestilence ended with 'Spheres', but this is an album that will give you\u003cbr\u003eendless enjoyment if you are open to it.","brand":"Chalkys.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55142383714689,"sku":"839905","price":28.98,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0056\/8043\/1219\/files\/51TG6wrokFL._SL1500.jpg?v=1767616772","url":"https:\/\/chalkys.com\/products\/839905","provider":"Chalkys.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}