I'd imagine it was very disheartening for bands like Pestilence and Cynic to be booed by crowds who just wanted to hear straight death metal. The scene was a lot smaller then. They were just a little ahead of their time. Pestilence rule \m/ ..... so do Cynic :) \m/
You are a GOD for posting this! Although Consvming Impvlse will always be my #1 Pestilence CD, Spheres is right behind it! Brilliant masterpiece, way ahead of it's time. TY man!!
These guys (along with Cynic) came from the future to show us what it's gonna be like with music. Bands today still don't get it. This is legendary, ground breaking stuff. And Mameli's vocal are the best there ever will be.
man I like Spheres, but it's sad that they almost seem to be ashamed of the their earlier albums and kinda lable it as childish music. artists shouldn't do that. it's about progression and every album was a part of that growth. looks liek they were almost in denial of their earlier work even thought it was fantastic music. maybe they should have continued under another name after testimony if they didn't like their stuff anymore...
The first time I saw Pestilence they were on tour with Death!!! Death was touring the Human album. So, I would go out on a limb and say that tour affect how the Pestilence guys maybe saw things??? Chuck had the Cynic guys in Death touring with him...Sean and Paul....so maybe being around them for such a long period of time, made Patrick's switch?????? This is all speculation of course....
Again, thank you very much for posting these great interviews, this one is particularly interesting, as you say, Mr. Mameli wouldn't agree with himself on many points. "Spheres" is in my opinion, probably one of the three best metal albums ever made, it is a visionary work. What saddens me is the fact that Pestilence disbanded after it because almost nobody understood what they were doing (and still don't today), it only makes me wonder what the next album would have been like have they not broken up. Thanks, Roman, I hope you have more of these
Thanks, really appreciated. Yes, that was the problem, the album was ahead of its time and Patrick made some Metalheads angry because of his (slightly) disrespectful comments about Death Metal. Well, time passes and I think the album is much more respected today.
Funny enough Atheist's Elements, also 1993 and Cynic's Focus, also 1993, received almost the same amount of backlash for jazz fusion inspired death metal much like Spheres (1993).
Roman Muster because their entire fanbade was "slayer fan" demographic. Years later metal fanbase became more diverse and more people began to listen to this kind of stuff
Awesome upload! Please upload more extreme metal stuff if you can. Please don't throw the tapes away! There is gold on them with stuff like this. Concerning Patrick Mameli I think his often straightforward way of speech is often misunderstood as disrespectful to the old ways, but the music proves it was about reaching for new ways. It resulted in more creative music, then out of bounds, before the whole techdeath genre evolved.
Patrick Mameli: "I'm very happy to welcome Jeroen once more to the PESTILENCE camp. I'm convinced that Jeroen, just like Tony on 'Resurrection', will put his signature on this new PESTILENCE album, that fans really don't have to compare these two great bass players with each other. Both have a great style. Also, I would like to stress that, by no means this collaboration with Jeroen will result in a 'Spheres' part 2, since this is not our goal. Our goal is to create the most brutal and technical PESTILENCE album ever. (October 29, 2009)
Spheres is such a weird, even scary album. I’ve never heard another album like it. One of the top prog death albums ever, but I love Testimony also. And in recent years, they have kind of returned. I hear lots of Testimony/Spheres attitude on Hadeon. Such a shame that Atheist and Pestilence pretty much quit in 1993. Death kept going and nowadays they are still remembered as one of the biggest prog dm bands. I wonder what Pestilence would have sounded like had they released albums in 1995-1998 era.
Interesting insight from Mameli here. Can't wait for his new project Necromorph... supposed to be even more jazz oriented. Probably a further expansion of the Spheres mold as he has put his 8 strings aside, and gone back to using a 6 string Steinberger. Go look up Mameli on Facebook, dude's getting PUMPED!
I wouldn't call Pestilence's older records "childish" it's groundbreaking stuff for the time too. Showing off your skills on an instrument isn't the point. Death metal and metal in general just allows for more expression. It doesn't need to follow all the rules. Spheres was a great record in my opinion. Very experimental for it's time and it wasn't hot garbage to my ears.
You know, I don't really think there's anything inherently bad in what he felt. He just got inspired in another direction by guitarists like Alan Holdsworth. But, yeah.. I guess the way he was denying the past and labelling it childish is a bit harsh.
Long time ago someone gave me the 'Two From The Vault' edition featuring Consvming Impvulse and Testimony Of The Ancients. I couldn't get into CI, I always played TOTA on it's totallity, over and over again.
I love music more than most things. At the end of the day it's just music though. You can write a song about how your family was murdered in front of you but if the song sucks it's still a sucky song. Pestilence is like a novelty beer. Perfect for certain occasions in measured doses. Not what I reach fur everyday or in large amounts. But I appreciate Patrick and the guys for thier gift. Spheres is the shit.
Well, I recorded the Headbangers Ball Europe TV-Show on a VHS-Tape 20 years ago. I was just looking through my tapes with the intention of throwing them away. But I saw some interesting 'historical' footage that I wanted to share with others. Hope you like it.
Nulevoe Krylo I agree to a point, I think there are lots of jazz modes in the guitar solos. Both Mameli and Uiterwijk have some remarkable guitar spots on this album.
So.. - "... we really see that things were going in the wrong direction for us" - "... and you find out that those people are so much better than you, you know, and that is what is important for us" This is so backwards. I hear this as " Well, we're doing fine music... that's bad! I think we need to think about this as a competition..." I mean, even teenagers work the opposite way And then... the punchline... footage from a song titled 'Soul Search'
I've been a fan since the beginning but calling Testimony childish wtf that album slayed. Damn they were pretty douche about the scene and sound, well what happend after Spheres .....not much. All there albums including spheres were great just people weren't ready for the prog element till later .
Tries expanding the palette and pushing the enveloppe: makes no money. Returns to 'oldschool' roots in case there is still something left to milk there. I like All Pestilence albums, including Spheres. Couldn't get into the later stuff.
Marco Foddis wasn't really that amazing on this album, his drumming wasn't technical enough to match what everyone else was doing, he was great in the last 3 albums before this because that was his style, imagine if he was replaced with someone like sean reinert or someone else then perhaps spheres would hold up with an album like human instead of sounding like a weaker attempt at tech metal.
I would't say Spheres is a "weaker" attempt at tech metal; it's really just its own thing. All of those classic '93 death-jazz records do it in their own way (Elements, Focus, ITP, etc). They used the guitar synth on Spheres in some pretty different ways; Personal Energy is nuts. Foddis is hit or miss (mostly hit on this one for me).
+Jason Demakis I agree, there has been a revolving door for drummers since Pestilence reformed, & while they may have been technically superior they are all interchangeable, whereas Marco Foddis always had his own recognizable style, something that seems to have been lost now with modern production techniques
I've been listening obsessively to Spheres for the past week, and though Foddis is in a different league from Reinert or Hoglan, he definitely brings a lot of personality to his playing here. He definitely holds his own and is audibly inspired by his comrades' music. If Pestilence had continued for another album or two, he may have really surprised us all. That said, I really wish there some good old speedy parts on this album. And that it was at least two songs longer. Not his fault though.
@voi vod I'm aware, but I havent checked out their latest yet. I will, thanks! What I meant was if they had continued after Spheres came out. The reunion albums I heard are ok, not the glorious return everyone hoped for.
Spheres is ironically the best, most unique and creative thing Pestilence ever did. Absolute genre transcending classic.
I totally agree with you, I love pestilence. \m/
I never understood the hate towards this album. I wish they would return to this style, the newer stuff doesn’t hit the mark for me like this album.
I prefer Testimony of the Ancients, but Spheres, Consuming Impulse, and Malleus Malificarum are all good
This old MTV interview kicks ass. Spheres has always been my favorite.
I'd imagine it was very disheartening for bands like Pestilence and Cynic to be booed by crowds who just wanted to hear straight death metal. The scene was a lot smaller then. They were just a little ahead of their time. Pestilence rule \m/ ..... so do Cynic :) \m/
Atheist were leagues ahead of anyone. Pestilence is good, but come on they were in over their heads entering into Atheist's element.
@@spacecadet8843 ha Element(s)
This is gold! Spheres is unique!
You are a GOD for posting this! Although Consvming Impvlse will always be my #1 Pestilence CD, Spheres is right behind it! Brilliant masterpiece, way ahead of it's time. TY man!!
And now he is back to death metal lol
These guys (along with Cynic) came from the future to show us what it's gonna be like with music. Bands today still don't get it. This is legendary, ground breaking stuff. And Mameli's vocal are the best there ever will be.
man I like Spheres, but it's sad that they almost seem to be ashamed of the their earlier albums and kinda lable it as childish music. artists shouldn't do that. it's about progression and every album was a part of that growth. looks liek they were almost in denial of their earlier work even thought it was fantastic music. maybe they should have continued under another name after testimony if they didn't like their stuff anymore...
I completely agree.....their earlier albums are monuments in their own to the thrash/death metal communities....I guess they dont see it that way
The first time I saw Pestilence they were on tour with Death!!!
Death was touring the Human album.
So, I would go out on a limb and say that tour affect how the Pestilence guys maybe saw things???
Chuck had the Cynic guys in Death touring with him...Sean and Paul....so maybe being around them for such a long period of time, made Patrick's switch??????
This is all speculation of course....
@@ericwilliams538 That does sound very plausible.
At least they didn't go grunge like every other metal band from the 80's.
I miss Marco on drums, his playing is a big part of Spheres unique feel…
An album 20 years ahead of its time
Luís Maciel with cheesy sound ..those keyboards...xD.
No keyboards were used on Spheres.
Again, thank you very much for posting these great interviews, this one is particularly interesting, as you say, Mr. Mameli wouldn't agree with himself on many points. "Spheres" is in my opinion, probably one of the three best metal albums ever made, it is a visionary work. What saddens me is the fact that Pestilence disbanded after it because almost nobody understood what they were doing (and still don't today), it only makes me wonder what the next album would have been like have they not broken up. Thanks, Roman, I hope you have more of these
Thanks, really appreciated.
Yes, that was the problem, the album was ahead of its time and Patrick made some Metalheads angry because of his (slightly) disrespectful comments about Death Metal. Well, time passes and I think the album is much more respected today.
Funny enough Atheist's Elements, also 1993 and Cynic's Focus, also 1993, received almost the same amount of backlash for jazz fusion inspired death metal much like Spheres (1993).
Roman Muster because their entire fanbade was "slayer fan" demographic. Years later metal fanbase became more diverse and more people began to listen to this kind of stuff
Awesome upload! Please upload more extreme metal stuff if you can. Please don't throw the tapes away! There is gold on them with stuff like this.
Concerning Patrick Mameli I think his often straightforward way of speech is often misunderstood as disrespectful to the old ways, but the music proves it was about reaching for new ways. It resulted in more creative music, then out of bounds, before the whole techdeath genre evolved.
I love this album, brilliant!!!
Patrick Mameli: "I'm very happy to welcome Jeroen once more to the PESTILENCE camp. I'm convinced that Jeroen, just like Tony on 'Resurrection', will put his signature on this new PESTILENCE album, that fans really don't have to compare these two great bass players with each other. Both have a great style. Also, I would like to stress that, by no means this collaboration with Jeroen will result in a 'Spheres' part 2, since this is not our goal. Our goal is to create the most brutal and technical PESTILENCE album ever. (October 29, 2009)
Spheres is such a weird, even scary album. I’ve never heard another album like it. One of the top prog death albums ever, but I love Testimony also. And in recent years, they have kind of returned. I hear lots of Testimony/Spheres attitude on Hadeon. Such a shame that Atheist and Pestilence pretty much quit in 1993. Death kept going and nowadays they are still remembered as one of the biggest prog dm bands. I wonder what Pestilence would have sounded like had they released albums in 1995-1998 era.
I would love to see full Pestilence concert from live music hall Cologne-Germany '93
2 yeas after releasing that masterpiece he's shitting on the album lmao testimony is their finest hour
Interesting insight from Mameli here. Can't wait for his new project Necromorph... supposed to be even more jazz oriented. Probably a further expansion of the Spheres mold as he has put his 8 strings aside, and gone back to using a 6 string Steinberger. Go look up Mameli on Facebook, dude's getting PUMPED!
thanks for sharing this!
It's ironic that both Death and Pestilence went in technical directions in 1991 , I wonder who inspired who
I wouldn't call Pestilence's older records "childish" it's groundbreaking stuff for the time too. Showing off your skills on an instrument isn't the point. Death metal and metal in general just allows for more expression. It doesn't need to follow all the rules.
Spheres was a great record in my opinion. Very experimental for it's time and it wasn't hot garbage to my ears.
Yes. At the end it's the song that counts, not the technical skills.
Cool to see this one. Is there a bootleg of this live show (Koln 1993)?
where are you today, marco?
He is a driving instructor..no more drums
I HAVEN'T LISTENED BETTER VOCALS THAN THIS
Patrick Mameli at his worst. Ashamed of his death metal roots.
You know, I don't really think there's anything inherently bad in what he felt. He just got inspired in another direction by guitarists like Alan Holdsworth. But, yeah.. I guess the way he was denying the past and labelling it childish is a bit harsh.
Long time ago someone gave me the 'Two From The Vault' edition featuring Consvming Impvulse and Testimony Of The Ancients. I couldn't get into CI, I always played TOTA on it's totallity, over and over again.
One of the best metal albums
I love music more than most things. At the end of the day it's just music though. You can write a song about how your family was murdered in front of you but if the song sucks it's still a sucky song. Pestilence is like a novelty beer. Perfect for certain occasions in measured doses. Not what I reach fur everyday or in large amounts. But I appreciate Patrick and the guys for thier gift. Spheres is the shit.
from where you get this interviews?
Well, I recorded the Headbangers Ball Europe TV-Show on a VHS-Tape 20 years ago. I was just looking through my tapes with the intention of throwing them away. But I saw some interesting 'historical' footage that I wanted to share with others. Hope you like it.
@@spontandenker Please share more! Thank you Bro
@@brian13451 I would like to. But I'm running out of material ...
Holy shit did they ever sound good live in 1993! I don't like the production on Spheres, but those songs sound amazing here.
Amazing album
Spheres is more of a node to classical music and space rock, there's almost zero sense of jazz.
Nulevoe Krylo I agree to a point, I think there are lots of jazz modes in the guitar solos. Both Mameli and Uiterwijk have some remarkable guitar spots on this album.
The bass playing is rooted in a jazz approach as are the solos to my ears…
There’s a couple jazz passages here and there but you’re right. There’s never truly jazz, just jazz influences
And then come reunion he went back to good old childish death metal 😂
So..
- "... we really see that things were going in the wrong direction for us"
- "... and you find out that those people are so much better than you, you know, and that is what is important for us"
This is so backwards. I hear this as " Well, we're doing fine music... that's bad! I think we need to think about this as a competition..." I mean, even teenagers work the opposite way
And then... the punchline... footage from a song titled 'Soul Search'
I've been a fan since the beginning but calling Testimony childish wtf that album slayed. Damn they were pretty douche about the scene and sound, well what happend after Spheres .....not much. All there albums including spheres were great just people weren't ready for the prog element till later .
Tries expanding the palette and pushing the enveloppe: makes no money. Returns to 'oldschool' roots in case there is still something left to milk there. I like All Pestilence albums, including Spheres. Couldn't get into the later stuff.
Mameli would be great in the DTA (Death To All) lineups. It's obvious he's quite inspired by Chuck.
i heard some rumors that death ( chuck ) didnt like pestilence at all when they were touring together because they were far better
@@Forcedtowipehe didn't like Atheist either, stiffed them on a festival tour as they had the same manager back in 91ish
Spheres!!!
Here is my ranking of Pestilence's albums;
ua-cam.com/video/i5CluNelFlI/v-deo.html
Ciao Caro cugino marco
Marco Foddis wasn't really that amazing on this album, his drumming wasn't technical enough to match what everyone else was doing, he was great in the last 3 albums before this because that was his style, imagine if he was replaced with someone like sean reinert or someone else then perhaps spheres would hold up with an album like human instead of sounding like a weaker attempt at tech metal.
I would't say Spheres is a "weaker" attempt at tech metal; it's really just its own thing. All of those classic '93 death-jazz records do it in their own way (Elements, Focus, ITP, etc). They used the guitar synth on Spheres in some pretty different ways; Personal Energy is nuts. Foddis is hit or miss (mostly hit on this one for me).
+Jason Demakis I agree, there has been a revolving door for drummers since Pestilence reformed, & while they may have been technically superior they are all interchangeable, whereas Marco Foddis always had his own recognizable style, something that seems to have been lost now with modern production techniques
I've been listening obsessively to Spheres for the past week, and though Foddis is in a different league from Reinert or Hoglan, he definitely brings a lot of personality to his playing here. He definitely holds his own and is audibly inspired by his comrades' music. If Pestilence had continued for another album or two, he may have really surprised us all.
That said, I really wish there some good old speedy parts on this album. And that it was at least two songs longer. Not his fault though.
@voi vod I'm aware, but I havent checked out their latest yet. I will, thanks! What I meant was if they had continued after Spheres came out. The reunion albums I heard are ok, not the glorious return everyone hoped for.
the album is great but the guitar solos sound like someone trying and failing to sound holdsworthian and that kinda stumps my enjoyment of it
I dig the synth guitar solos.
@@123612100 im talking about the out of time holdsworth impression you hear on every song
"Jazz orientated direction"......ahahaha NO!
bullshit.
It's ironic that both Death and Pestilence went in technical directions in 1991 , I wonder who inspired who
Death was inspired by bands like coroner and watchtower while pestilence for the spheres era was inspired by jazz fusion.