One of the foundational acts of death metal, Pestilence began recording in the late eighties and started providing more complex, musically expository translations of death and speed metal ideas in several classic albums. With 1993's Spheres they spent their progressive urge in a highly technical but heavily synthesized album that gained little acceptance among death metal bands; declaring it a loss, the remaining members charged off bitterly into jazz fusion bands.

Pestilence started in 1986. Initially the band was heavily influenced by American and German thrash metal. By the time of their second album, Consuming Impulse from 1989, the band had developed its own style: brutal death metal. In the years that followed Pestilence became one of the prime bands in the international death metal scene. The group, based around guitarist, songwriter and (then occasional) vocalist Patrick Mameli, toured relentlessly. Especially tours in the US proved to be very successful. The band became more skilled over the years, and outside influences crept into the music. This all led in 1993 to the album Spheres, on which Patrick Mameli combined his well loved death metal sound with a new musical passion: fusion. The album was an artistic triumph, but was at the same time many years ahead of its time. In 1994 Pestilence disbanded and Patrick Mameli withdrew from the music scene. - official biography