2023 Retro - PESTIFER

"Wearing mask of predator, never-ending hunt, seek for breaths and reach desolation till supremacy in solitude!" ('Defeat Of The Nemesis')

In the fourth installment of our retrospective series, we cordially invite you to delve into the progressive Death Metal realm of Belgian ensemble PESTIFER. Their recent EP, "Defeat Of The Nemesis," contained five impeccably elaborate tracks and was released this April. Discover additional parts of this series here: ANARKHON, BACCHUS, and AARA.

""Defeat Of The Nemesis" is a maniacal and wicked way to spend 24 minutes." (Your Last Rites)

Three years after acclaimed third album, "Expanding Oblivion," PESTIFER returned triumphantly with a prelude to their upcoming fourth full-length. This five-track EP delivers a furiously captivating sequence of compositions as atmospherically rich and organically intricate as they are sophisticated, and serves as an ideal introduction to their Art. "Defeat Of The Nemesis" is a cohesive sonic and conceptual landscape, offering the listener a brutal yet exquisitely detailed and immersive experience.

Check the EP here and via our YouTube channel:

In conversation with Antichrist magazine, drummer Philippe articulated the band's musical vision:

"I see modern Death Metal more like a genre with a lot of technique, that is really fast and brutal. In this perspective we sound more like old bands in the way we are not super fast, nor super brutal. Organic describes us well, I guess. We always try to create a quite dark atmosphere, but not too dark because we like to have melodies. We simply avoid everything that can remind us of a Göteborg or neoclassical style, just because we don't like those kinds of colors. And we also like to have dissonant chords, not just for the sake of it, but because melted with the other colors, it creates a cool balance."

Frontman Jérôme unveils PESTIFER's plans for 2024:

"We have one more festival to play this winter then we will go back to writing our next full-length album. We also want to work on touring again and we hope to achieve this as soon as possible!"

Jérôme also shares his top 10 albums of 2023:

01. BLUT AUS NORD - "Disharmonium – Nahab"
"I've been listening to BLUT AUS NORD for 20 years and I'm always nicely surprised when new music is released. This might be one of my favorites."

02. PERTUBATOR - "Final Light"
"It was released in 2022 but I started listening to this album this year since we have played with them. Oh, I also bought a keyboard because of them!"

03. DHG - "Black Medium Current"
"I am a bit jealous of DHG to be honest. It's so creative and nice to my ears. I wish I did this release myself."

04. VOIDCEREMONY - "Threads of Unknowing"
05. BLOOD INCANTATION - "Luminescent Bridge"
06. ALKALOID - "Numen"
07. SULPHUR AEON - "Seven Crowns and Seven Seals"
08. TOMB MOLD - "The Enduring Spirit"
09. GOROD - "The Orb"
10. CARNATION - "Cursed Mortality"

"Defeat Of The Nemesis" can be purchased on CD and vinyl via our EU, US and Bandcamp shops.