"10/12" - THRASH 'EM ALL (Poland)

"Whoa, this is textbook Death Metal with sizzling leads and tons of changes and tempo shifts. This is awesome, brutal stuff...if you're a fan of classic Death Metal then listen up!"
- Andrew AVERSION ONLINE @ mp3.com

"When I listen to this album, I think of a huge thunderclap loud enough to shatter the windows of a church....I just love this album, and these guys are the new gods of blackened death metal. They have everything I want in a death metal band, with more dimensions to them than bands which seem to go to all possible lengths just to sound brutal. Well this band doesn't compromise any songwriting or atmosphere, and still manages to sound brutal with its earth-shattering double bass assault. The songs have alot of definition, and some of my favourite guitar solos, done with immaculate production. The vocals are some of the deepest roar/growls I've heard done with such control, and another vocalist chips in in parts with evil shrieks. I not only recommend this album to all fans of death metal, but consider it groundbreaking in terms of all metal. All metal fans, especially those who play guitar and love attempting guitar solos, need to pick this cd up. Support the lords of the underground! - 10/10"
- Julian Forbes, Metal Reviews (USA)

"OK, so I'll admit it. I was extremely late to jump on the Pessimist bandwagon but believe you me. As soon as I was on that wagon, I was permanently on. Pessimist rocked my world within minutes with their first release. Now I have their newest opus, which is selling like crazy from what I hear and it's getting great reactions from what I've read. And hellŠIt's no secret why. Pessimist's trademarked brand of "dungeon-metal" unleashes heaviness, speed, technicality, and all out brutal death metal onto your ears for a fight you simply can't win. Pessimist will have you hooked upon first listen if you're a fan of any good death metal band."
- LoudNet

"What a long way these guys have come. Pessimist's sophomore release, the follow up to "Cult of the Initiated," sounds matured, and yet more raw and brutal. Their chaotic nature still remains, with lots of time and riff shifts throughout, and a high volume of pinch harmonics. The bass sounds better placed, and more pounding in this release, and the vocals, also, have developed a stronger vitality, and transmit more anger. Among the newer generation of death metal, these guys are among the upper class... In a field of music that has reached a certain plateau, Pessimist rise above, providing a firm base for the mountain ranges that are to come."
- Lady Enslain, ENSLAIN MAG

"Great medeival barbaric death metal! That's all the introduction this band needs. A brick smashed in your face would have less effect than this band. One of the truly heavy bands in death metal...the material gives you chills...interesting song structure. I hear these guys killed at the 2000 March Metal Meltdown...it is easy to understand why. This CD is just pummeling straight up death metal all the way through. No fucking keyboards, No fucking clean vocals, just pure death metal through and through."
- Dave Keane, METAL MAFIA

"PICK OF THE ISSUE - Absolutely mesmerizing explosion of Death Metal fury that bounces you around the room like a superball shot out of a cannon. Follow-up to 1997's Cult of the Initiated CD, Pessimist has taken the Death Metal genre to new heights of extremity with Blood for the Gods. Furious guitar licks veer wildly out of control as light-speed drum blasts and grinding, tortured bass lines set a chaotic tone to this brutal beyond belief affair. Special mention should be made of the unearthly vocal roars and grunts of Rob Kline and Kelly McLauchlin as they battle like a pair of enraged beasts locked in mortal combat. Packed to overflowing with wicked breaks, catchy, harsh riffs and pulse-quickening speed assaults this is every Death Metal fan's ultimate dream come true. Absolutely essential! 10 Fucking Skulls!!!"
- David Horn, SOD MAGAZINE #13

"With their second offering of technically-pleasing death metal, "Blood for the Gods", Baltimore's Pessimist have shown positive signs of musical growth and yes...progression. Still firmly planted in a sweat-inducing and highly destructive form of brutality, Pessimist have thankfully stepped away from the similarities they shared with Morbid Angel on their debut, "Cult of the Initiated", into a more individualistic direction...amidst the perplexing, false harmonic guitar riffs that buzz about in a frenzied manner...Pessimist throw in strong hooks and reprise key parts to add structure. Harmonically catchy songwriting used as a contrast up against the standard death equation... Pessimist should be applauded for taking care with the nine songs on this album to ensure a strong flow/structure, as well as implementing the aggression essential for solid, gripping death metal. Where Pessimist musically teeters between scab-consuming, tight-as-a-coffin-lid blasts of speed and clean guitar breaks for texture, I see vocalist Rob Kline as the versatile element that further strengthens this material. As well as being an omnipresent frontman live, on tracks like "Whore of the Undead" and "Century of Lies" he effortlessly shifts between discernible growls and penetrating goblin shrieks to stir the abrasion and hurl "Blood for the Gods" even further into the attention-grabbing chasm of variety."
- Marty Rytkonen, METAL MANIACS

"...So when the album of the year arrives in my mail box I feel the need to make an extra effort to tell everyone... What is this new masterpiece I am talking about? PESSIMIST - "Blood For The Gods"!!! Prepare for a new beginning of pure evil spawned death metal. Pessimist are poised to be the next big name in the death metal scene with their 2nd album "Blood For The Gods". Not since early Deicide, Morbid Angel or Malevolent Creation has an album been so truly brutal and devastating with this style of death metal. Pessimist take the demonic side of death metal to an all new level with "Blood For The Gods"... PESSIMIST will be the new gods of death metal and you will be hearing about them for a long time to come. Pick up "Blood For The Gods" now or may the Whore of The Undead visit you, beware..."
- P. Hasselbrack  BLOODSOAKED PROMOTIONS

"Relentless in its assault and completely over the top, Pessimist's Blood For The Gods is my favorite death metal album of the year. Tons of blasting double bass beats, guttural screams and tight, technical guitar riffs with abominable heaviness. Cult of the Initiated hinted at the brutality Pessimist was capable of, and now on "Blood..." that has been fully realized. Easily at the same level as bands like Deicide, Cannibal Corpse and Malevolent Creation, Pessimist is the epitome of death metal in 1999. Witness the utter carnage on songs like "Unspeakable Terror" and the brilliant madness of "Psychological Autopsy" - Vocals are mixed up perferctly with low end indecipherable vocals, mid range throat-tearing and high-pitched demonic rasps, making the album much more interesting... The rhythm section crushes and Kell is a total master death metal guitarist. These guys totally set if off live too, witnessing them last year at Metalfest...If you buy one death metal album all year, make it Pessimist's Blood For The Gods"
- Dave Adelson  SHORTWAVE WARFARE

"Yes! Another killer release from PESSIMIST. Ear piercing blackened death metal put together masterfully. This quartet out of Maryland are punishing! What stood out on this 9 song cd was the fact how tight these guys play. The bruising drum work was absolutly destructive, weaved together perfectly with the bass puts a nail right in your head from start to finish. Superior guitar solos with lots of squawking. The vocs are heatheness and guttural as well. Great chemistry in this fuckin band!! Get "Blood For The Gods" now or you're missing out on a great release! 10 Impalements (highest rating)"
VIOLATED ROT ONLINE ZINE

"Pessimist's new release comes at a perfect time...Blood For The Gods definitely delivers the goods....this album is BRUUUUUTAAAAAAAL!!! [It is] just as brutal as it is technical, just as raw as it is tight...Pessimist have divinely captured the essence of all that is Death Metal by not becoming fixated on one particular musical idea, but rather working as a powerhouse to produce a crushing overall effect. The guitar work is absolutely amazing, with squeals and leads that will send every guitarist to their practice room dying to emulate their new-found heroes. The drums are tight and diverse as well, plowing through some of the most syncopated double-bass this side of Pete Sandoval. The vocals are the icing on the cake with the lows being the most guttural, bruising sounds and the highs shrieking painfully and ripping vocal chords along the way. Pessimist is now secured with a firm place among the all-stars of Death Metal. In fact, they may just take the lead. BUY THIS ALBUM!!!"
PROMETHIAN CRUSADE Vol.2 #2

"The long awaited follow up to their critically acclaimed debut CD. Blood for the Gods exceeds its predecessor in every possible aspect. The music of Pessimist is Death metal in its purest most barbaric form. Lyrically the band is more on pace with the Black metal scene, but musically and vocally, they are death in the very essence...Phenomenal!! Rating 9/10"
- Lance Gifford  ULTIMA COMPARATIO 'ZINE

"If you're into heavy, solid, riff-filled, technically-proficient, brutal-as-fuck death/thrash, (who isn't?) then look no further. This CD is guaranteed to drive an ice-pick into your brain. I didn't think they could produce a follow-up that could match their debut ("Cult of the Initiated") in the aforementioned areas, but damn, this one grabs you by the 'nads and shakes you to the very core of your being! Easily one of the best releases of the year. From the grinding opener "Century of Lies", to what I consider to be one of the best metal tunes ever- "Mens Rea", into a great, solo-filled "Tunnel Rats"...this CD has it all for any metal fan. From out of the underground, riding a wave of brutality into the next millenium, Pessimist has ARRIVED!! 10/10"
- Greg Ferguson  METAL MAIL LIST

"Maryland Death Metal monster Pessimist plays awesome Death/Black Metal. This CD contains 9 mind raping songs that totally dominates, I don't think Pessimist sounds like a copy/clone of any other band I've heard and they make some excellent riffs. The vocals goes from deep growling to evil black metal vocals...10/10"
- Per Laursen, Denmark  METAL MAIL LIST

"I was eagerly anticipating this CD...Wasting no time, Pessimist go for the throat with the opener 'Century of Lies'. And the assault never lets up with tracks like 'Unspeakable Terror', 'Mens Rea' and 'Psychological Autopsy' inducing bloodletting of their own. Keeping things interesting with slower more eerie tracks like 'Unborn (Father)' and the exceptional [closing song] 'Wretched of The Earth'. Great musicianship, a strong vocal delivery, great packaging and a top notch recording should inspire YOU to pick this up without delay. -9-"
- S. Wasylyk  UNRESTRAINED! ZINE

"PESSIMIST - Blood For The Gods (Lost Disciple - Import) American Death Metal is really savage...rot, depraved, guttural and no subtleness. PESSIMIST carries these traditions and on their second album, the band delivers an incessant brutality...bands such as SUFFOCATION, CANNIBAL CORPSE and MORTICIAN now have their successor, that's PESSIMIST. It's awesome to have the oportunity to listen to a band with such and incredible guitar work, excellent musicians that are always mixing technic with the purulent death metal music that we all love some much. Tracks like "Unspeakable Terror", "Psychological Autopsy" and "Whore Of The Undead" have such a good taste/feeling. Grotesque! 7/10"
- Edu  ROCK BRIGADE MAG (Brazil)

"My first experience with Pessimist was seeing them live in NYC when they opened for the Death Across America Tour...I had no idea they were THIS frightening! Blood for the Gods is an insanely technical, dark, brutal slab of death metal. The vocals range from a Joe Ptacek gurgle (Bowels of Repugnance era) up through Glen Benton-ish screams and hit just about every roaring range in between. What really puts Blood for the Gods over the top is the intensity. This fucking animal does not let up for a single second. The production is perfect. Each instrument can be heard clearly... This is death metal at its absolute peak...Pessimist are currently at the top of the heap... Everyone else get on your knees and pay homage."
- Al Kikuras  UNCHAIN THE UNDERGROUND

"Everything you've come to expect from Baltimore's death-black metal overlords... and more. Like their previous release 'Cult of the Initiated', there is a sharp, crystal-clear production, an excellent layout, excellent instrumental balance within well-structured songs... the whole works. Well-delivered music which sports a superb range of vocals, screaming hot lead guitar work, rumbling bass, and tight, accurate drumming make it highly enjoyable. Highlights in the work include the delicate acoustic "outro" on 'Wrecthed Of the Earth', the ever-slaying 'Mens Rea', 'Century of Lies', and 'Unspeakable Terror'. A MUST buy for Pessimist fans everywhere, and fans of the genre of music they seem to be spearheading as it's premier talent: that of black/death metal. If you want your death metal tinged with blood... of the gods... then make sure you acquire this!"
- Melanie Rider  NECROSIS ONLINE

"Another majestic piece of visceral death metal by Pessimist. "Blood For the Gods" is even better than the previous "Cult of the Initiated", and their mixture of brutal death metal with some black metal vocals (although using the traditional vocal of death style most part of the times) is killer. Everything without losing the excellent guitar playing and an awesome drum section. The songs Century of Lies and Whore of the Undead are the highlights. 4/5"
- Carlos Afonso  RENEGADE ROCK WEBZINE (Brazil)

"Oh yeah...this is Death Metal, people, this one is a winner! No bullshitting here...PESSIMIST rule eternally! They got a deal right after their first demo, "Absence of Light". After their merciless debut "Cult of the Initiated", they return now with another skull-crushing stuff, very well named "Blood for the Gods". Just after I heard the first riffs I knew PESSIMIST will become one of my fave acts ever! The sound is so fuckin' perfect, this album being the pure mayhem! 39 minutes of Armageddon, baptized in the pure American blood...oh the pleasure...I can't describe it in words...The vocals come from thousand meters below sea level, and the whole image is devastating as fuck! YES! Intense like hell! Their barbaric style could very well fit between OPPRESSOR and ANGEL CORPSE...but fuck, this is much more relentless and brutal! I don't think I ever listened to something like this so hateful yet original...brilliant! 9.75"
LAIR OF SOLITUDE (Romania)

"Those who were blown away by Pessimist's debut, "Cult of the Initiated" should expect nothing less than a great follow up album and to be prepared for total annihilation. Pessimist have hit a pinnacle of Death Metal excellence that only a few bands can reach...such as Morbid Angel and Deicide, both bands [which are in the same vein as] Pessimist. BFTG punishes the American Death Metal scene with nothing but absolute Death Metal craziness...the right amount of grooves, ripping solos, and overall Death Metal ingenuity...the purest of Death Metal that fans have been dying to hear for years. Pessimist [given a chance] could be up there with the leaders in the early Death Metal scene and even be the leaders of the resurgent American Death Metal movement along with bands such as Nile. They have the integrity and precision that can bring them there without a doubt. You should not miss this and if you do...kill yourself."
- Colin Conway  NEPTUNE 'ZINE

"Pessimist have finally hit the mark in a major way! Blood For The Gods has been released (Lost Disciple Records) and the recording rips like a table saw through a forearm! Nine warped tracks make up the album, and believe me when I tell you that these guys can exhume death metal as well as any Tampa Bay act."
- Mark Bounds  MUSIC MONTHLY