Technical Death Metal, as a genre, is definitely at its peak at the moment. From talented UK bands like BLOODSHOT DAWN and SEPREVATION, to the giants of the genre like NILE and DECAPITATED, the scene for this kind of music has never been stronger. As this scene grows from strength to strength, it speaks to reason that the musicianship on this form of music also increases. Bands like PESTIFIER are at the top end of the pyramid of technicality, and it is likely that they could, if they make their presence known, give the heavyweights of the genre a run for their money.

Right from the start of "Witness of the Loss", it's clear that these guys are talented musicians. The spiralling, disjointed guitar work works very well. This is essentially the case for every song up until the closing track, "Positonic Symphony", which has a lot to offer, with some great bass work from Adriend Gustin in particular. This is, in many ways, a Tech Death fans wet dream; it has speed, technical proficiency and crazy sounding chord changes that are all appealing, but also hallmarks of the genre; However, these guys fall into the trap that many Technical Death Metal bands do; making their music overly complicated for the sake of it as opposed to writing something that fits together well while still being technical. This is the thing that stops this album from being truly great. Many contemporary bands, such as BLOODSHOT DAWN for example, do not relent on the technicality or heaviness in their music, but they don't do it in a way that is obviously a display of their own virtuosity. Their talent is clear to hear, but their riffs are also catchy. PESTIFIER are definitely talented, but they haven't yet struck a balance between guitar hooks and guitar tricks. If they manage to reign in this particular side of things, then I'm sure the next album will be awesome.

This isn't to say that what we have here isn't awesome already; PESTIFIER definitely have the chops and the skills to carve their own legacy in the Tech Death scene. It's often the case that some of the most insanely talented guitarists, bassists, and drummers are overlooked and largely unseen; This band is definitely one example. With any look, from now on, the world will begin to pay attention.