PESTILENCE — Two From The Vault (review)

PESTILENCE — Two From The Vault album cover

Boxset / Compilation · 2003 · Death Metal

4/5 · 2014-09-16
UMUR

"Two From The Vault" is a boxset release by Dutch death metal act Pestilence. The boxset was released through Roadrunner Records in September 2003. "Two From The Vault" is a concept Roadrunner Records invented to give people a chance to purchase two albums for the price of one and also to reissue some out of print albums. Other than Pestilence, releases by artists like King Diamond, Suffocation and Gorguts, have also been given the same treatment.

This particular "Two From The Vault" box set features Pestilence 2nd and 3rd full-length studio albums "Consuming Impulse (1989)" and "Testimony Of The Ancients (1991)". Both "classic" death metal albums by one of the greatest Dutch death metal acts from the late eighties/early nineties. Although both albums were released under the Pestilence monicker, they are actually very different in style. "Consuming Impulse (1989)" is relentlessly raw and brutal death metal while "Testimony Of The Ancients (1991)" is generally a lot more sophisticated and at times even semi-progressive. Both were groundbreaking releases when they were originally released though. Few albums from 1989 sounded as raw and brutal as "Consuming Impulse (1989)" and few death metal albums from 1991 sounded as sophisticated as "Testimony Of The Ancients (1991)". A shift on the lead vocalist spot between the two albums is one of the explanations behind the very different sounding albums, but overall it´s actually just the first sign that Pestilence were never a band to make the same album twice...

Both albums are high quality death metal releases and definitely worth a purchase. Both because of historical value, but certainly also because of the high quality songwriting, musicianship, and sound productions contained within. If you can get a hold of this "Two From The Vault" version, I can definitely recommend a purchase. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

more than 2 years ago
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Kingcrimsonprog wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I want this. I like this series. I got a V.O.D one in this series, good value.

Tupan wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Would you buy this if it was two albums with very different quality? Like a package with St. Anger and Master of Puppets?

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I m the same way. I won t buy these twoferone compilations unless it s the only format that exists. Every album deserves the dignity of being its own release. Usually go for remastered as well and these usually aren t. Still glad they exist for those who want em

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

They are packed in single case. Probably a budget thing, but you do get two albums for the Price of one, so I think that´s OK.

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

It's silly on my part given the better value of packages like this, but I kinda like seeing each individual albums on my shelf. Not that I don't own a couple like this; Ayreon's Universal Migrator and a Gorefest two in one, but I much prefer what SPV did with the "2 Originals of" packs, which just packaged the individual albums in a slipcase. Don't know how these Two From the Vault ones are packaged though, with that said, but most such things seem to be a single case thing (which is quite ridiculous for the Ayreon one as the booklet is so thick it doesn't even fit properly; my copy is really worn and frayed now).