Legendary dutch death metallers PESTILENCE have parted ways with drummer Septimiu Harsan due to personal and professional matters, partly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The band already found a replacement in Michiel van der Plicht (live drummer for countrymen Carach Angren), with whom PESTILENCE will record their upcoming album "Exitivm", tentatively slated for release later this year on Agonia Records
PESTILENCE was established in the Netherlands in 1986 and is considered to be a progressive death metal phenom, labeled on the same genre-defying scale as Death, Cynic and Atheist, but also Obituary and Deicide, with whom the band shared the same label-home throughout the 90s. The group is led by founder, guitarist and mastermind Patrick Mameli, who's been the band's binding factor through two breakups (in 1994 and 2014) and reunions (2008 and 2016, respectively).
PESTLIENCE' last album, "Hadeon", was released to acclaim in 2018, taking everyone by surprise with a nod towards the band's early death metal years, while still nourishing their experimental expression. The album was followed by extensive tours of Europe and South America, alongside many other shows throughout 2018. In 2019 the band hit the road again and performed to crowds in UK, Europe, USA, Singapore and Japan. Earlier this year, the virus outbreak forced PESTILENCE to postpone their North American tour with Possessed.