While mixing for their long-awaited fourth album is already well underway, Pessimist aren’t wasting anytime announcing their plans for next year.
The California road warriors just announced their first tour dates of 2024. They’ll be slaughtering the faithful all across Europe with Reaping Flesh in May 2024.
The tour kicks off next May in their tourmate’s home province of Rome, Italy. They’ll then initiate metalheads into their cult of brutal and blackened death metal from coastal France to Belgium, Holland and Austria, before grinding to a glorious and grueling finish at Czech Republic’s Nice to Eat You Deathfest.
European Tour Dates 2024:
10 May – Rome, Italy @ Defrag
11 May – Lonate Ceppino, Italy @ Black Inside
12 May – Montpellier, France @ Secretplace
13 May – Paris, France @ Le Klub
14 May – Deinze, Belgium @ ELPEE Music Club
15 May – Deen Hag, Holland @ Musicon
16 May – Germany – TBA
17 May – Vienna, Austria @ Escape Metalcorner
18 May – Decin, Czech Republic @ Nice to Eat You Deathfest
One of the premiere bands to emerge out of the early Baltimore, MD death metal scene, with their 1993 demo “Dark Reality”, Pessimist played their first shows opening for national acts Incantation, Deicide, and Malevolent Creation. In 1995, the band self-released the EP “Absence of Light” on cassette and landed gigs opening for Testament, Forbidden, Suffocation, and Napalm Death.
In 1997 Pessimist signed to Lost Disciple Records and released their debut CD Cult of the “Initiated”, which charted on CMJ Top 40 Loud Rock Charts, and received acclaim from around the world. The band continued to play shows in the Mid-Atlantic region, opening for Cryptopsy, Nile, Gorguts, Dying Fetus, Vader, Monstrosity, and festival appearances at Milwaukee Metalfest XII, New England Metal and Hardcore Fest – and the band’s first European tour with Fleshless (Cz) in 1999.
Pessimist released their second CD, “Blood for the Gods”, in 1999, which soared into the CMJ Top 30 and received the prestigious “Pick of the Issue.. 10 Fucking Skulls” in SOD Magazine. Pessimist became recognized for their unique brand of brutal and technical Black/Death Metal, with old-school thrash influences, an emphasis on quality songwriting, powerful live shows and a dark, evil sound.
In 2001, the band traveled to Tampa, FL to record with producer Erik Rutan, for their third CD, “Slaughtering the Faithful”, which featured a re-vamped lineup and a faster, more extreme musical direction. More shows followed with Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal, Krisiun, Immolation, Cannibal Corpse, Dark Funeral, festival appearances at March Metal Meltdown, New England Metal and Hardcore Fest, and November to Dismember.
Pessimist returned in 2008 with the “Evolution Unto Evil” CD, a compilation of rare/live demo recordings and tributes to Kreator, Megadeth, and Possessed, which was co-released on Pathos Prod and Deathgasm Recs. This was followed by appearances at New England Deathfest and Hostile City Deathfest. In 2009, the band returned to Europe for their second European tour with label-mates Pandemia (CZ).
In between downtime with the band, founder/guitarist Kelly McLauchlin had also been a member of bands such as Unholy Ghost, Diabolic, filled in live with Angelcorpse, and had later joined Death Metal legends Possessed, touring with the band from 2011-2013.
In 2018, Pessimist returned to the stage at Maryland Deathfest, headlining Las Vegas Deathfest, Rage of Armageddon Fest (NY), and Ruinfest (CA), and in 2019 released a new single, Keys to the Underworld, which featured studio drummer Kevin Talley (Dying Fetus, Suffocation) and bassist Kelly Conlon (Monstrosity, Death).
Now, in their latest incarnation, the current Pessimist lineup includes founder/guitarist Kelly McLauchlin (I Am Morbid, Possessed, etc.), new bassist recruit Andrew Bowen (Carnal Necrosis), and vocalist Ivan Alison aka “The Evil One” (Black Mass).
The band is currently writing music for the next full-length album, “Keys to the Underworld”.
All three Pessimist albums are available through the Season of Mist online store. These reissues include new layouts, rare, archival band photos and never-before-heard bonus tracks. Order them here.
Line-up:
Kelly McLauchlin – Guitars
Andrew Bown – Bass
Ivan Alison – Vocals
Tim Yeung – Drums
