UMUR "Rotten Bowel of Pestigore" is a compilation album by Finnish death metal act Pestigore. The compilation was released through Headsplit Records in April 2023. Pestigore formed in 1990 and released a string of demos (five to be exact) before disbanding in 1993. All material from the demos recorded between 1990-1993 have been compiled and re-released on "Rotten Bowel of Pestigore".

The contemporary early 90s Finnish scene spawned a couple of well known names like Amorphis, Demilich, Convulse, Xysma, Funebre, Sentenced...etc., but Pestigore is one of the lesser known acts from the era (and country). Possibly because they never managed to release anything on a label (not even a split or an EP), but after listening to all five demos featured on "Rotten Bowel of Pestigore" I think it has something to do with the quality of the output too. Starting your career with releasing three rehearsal demos, which all feature lo-fi sound qualities, and then following it up with a studio demo ("Twisted Perversions... Unbearable Delight" from March 1992), which features a sound production which is only a notch better than the sound productions of the three preceding rehearsal demos, and then ending with a two-track promo tape, which does feature a near professional sound production, but which completely loses the soul of the band´s music, is not a well functioning career plan.

There is a reason why Pestigore never got a label deal, and it´s not only the bad quality sound productions of their output, but it´s also the songwriting and the rather organic and loose musicianship, which makes for a sometimes chaotic listening experience. They simply sound like amateurs on waters way too deep for them to navigate in. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted. Not all forgotten old school death metal acts are forgotten gems...

UMUR "Promo 1992" is the fifth and last demo recording which Finnish death metal act Pestigore made in their initial run from 1990-1993. It seems to have been a last ditch attempt to try and secure a label contract, but it obviously didn´t pay off as Pestigore disbanded in 1993 without releasing any further material. All material from the five demos (including this one) recorded between 1990-1993 have been compiled and released on the "Rotten Bowel of Pestigore" compilation album (Headsplit Records, April 2023).

The demo features two tracks and a total playing time of 7:19 minutes. It´s the first material recorded by Pestigore which features anything close to a professional sound production, and it´s interesting to hear their music with more clear sounding and detailed production values. The thing is, that their music ultimately functions better in lo-fi, filhty, and unpolished sound productions, and some of their vile and slimy charm is lost on this recording.

Upon conclusion "Promo 1992" is not a good representation of what Pestigore sounded like, and although none of the preceding demos were anything worth writing home about, I´d still recommend listening to the "Twisted Perversions... Unbearable Delight" demo before listening to this release, to hear what Pestigore is all about. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Twisted Perversions... Unbearable Delight" is the fourth demo release by Finnish death metal act Pestigore. The demo was independently released in March 1992. The preceding demos where all rehearsal demos but this time around the band went to Kermu Studios and recorded the demo in six hours. Pestigore formed in 1990 and released a string of demos before disbanding in 1993. All material from the demos recorded between 1990-1993 have been compiled and released on the "Rotten Bowel of Pestigore" compilation album (Headsplit Records, April 2023).

Stylistically little has changed since the early demos, and the listener is still treated to simple old school death metal. Both mid-paced and heavy but also occasionally faster-paced. The vocals are burbing unintelligible growling and as a result the demo has a filthy goregrind atmosphere to it, although it´s not really grindcore ("Plaguelord" is predominantly really fast though). "Plaguelord" is the only new original composition here as the three remaining tracks are re-recordings of the three tracks featured on the 1991 "Rehearsal Tape 1991" demo.

Four tracks and total playing time of 13:26 and your ears will be bleeding. Pestigore is not the type of band who takes prisoners. There´s next to no melodic themes, and the listener is just pummeled from start to finish with either ultra heavy mid-paced death metal or faster blasting death metal. The demo features a raw and unpolished sounding production, which is just a notch above the sound quality of the early rehearsal demos. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Rehearsal Tape 1991" is the third demo recording by Finnish death metal act Pestigore. The demo was independently released in late 1991. It´s the successor to the October 1991 "Within the Dark Mist" demo. Pestigore formed in 1990 and released a string of demos before disbanding in 1993. All material from the demos recorded between 1990-1993 have been compiled and released on the "Rotten Bowel of Pestigore" compilation album (Headsplit Records, April 2023).

The first two demos from Pestigore were both rehearsal demos and that´s also the case with "Rehearsal Tape 1991" (well...hence the title of the demo). It´s a very basic, raw, and distorted recording and it would be a lie to say that the sound quality is anything near what you´d normally expect from a demo recording. This is through and through a lo-fi recording. Pestigore take us through three simple and predominantly mid-paced old school death metal tracks, which aren´t particularly different from the tracks featured on the preceding demo releases. What makes this demo stand out is the burbing growling vocals, which are somewhat similar to the ditto burbing vocals on the contemporary releases from fellow countrymen in Demilich. Pestigore´s simple, heavy, and meaty death metal however has nothing else in common with Demilich, just to make that perfectly clear.

"Rehearsal Tape 1991" is upon conclusion another sub par old school death metal demo release from Pestigore, and it´s safe to say that they didn´t start out releasing anything which made much of an impact. A 2 star (40%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Within the Dark Mist" is the second demo recording by Finnish death metal act Pestigore. The demo was independently released in October 1991. It´s the successor to the debut rehearsal demo which Pestigore released earlier the same year. "Within the Dark Mist" is in fact another rehearsal demo. Pestigore formed in 1990 and released a string of demos before disbanding in 1993. All material from the demos recorded between 1990-1993 have been compiled and released on the "Rotten Bowel of Pestigore" compilation album (Headsplit Records, April 2023).

The demo features three tracks (one is a short intro) and a total playing time of 8:11 minutes. While Pestigore have developed both their skills and their songwriting a slight bit since the last demo, it´s details and "Within the Dark Mist" isn´t a much more interesting release than it´s direct predecessor. Pestigore play a pretty standard quality mid-paced old school death metal, featuring little to set them apart from other contemporary artists. At times it´s almost too simple and predictable, but if enjoy your death metal as basic as possible, "Within the Dark Mist" certainly applies. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.