This Pest is the Finnish one, not to be confused with the multitude of other bands bearing the name. Of course, upon hearing them, you wouldn't be confused anyway, as this is the one led by Satanic Warmaster, former vocalist of Horna and vocalist/songwriter of the band Satanic Warmaster. Pest was one of his earlier projects, either predating or concurrent with his stint in Horna, and under the Pest name they released a few different demos and 7" vinyls - and this disc basically compiles them all into nine tracks of gloriously headbanging blasphemous black metal. If you've heard Satanic Warmaster (the band) you know SW's penchant for old-school songwriting and riffing, but while S.W. takes off older Darkthrone and Graveland, Pest digs back into the older black-heavy-metal stylings of Venom, Bathory, and even classic Priest/NWOBHM-style headbanging fistpumping riffs. It's impossible NOT to bang your head to songs like "Satanic Winter", "Possessed Wolves Howling", or "Riding Under the Sign of Horns". As I (too) often say, too many people forget the "METAL" part of "Black Metal", but not Pest, who bring back the glory days of metal, spikes, leather, and poseur-beatdowns right along with all the inverted crosses and grave desecration. HAIL THE BLACK METAL WOLVES OF PEST!

© 2003 lord vic