Pessimist

by Ed Rivadavia
Death metal band Pessimist came together in the city of Baltimore in 1993, and featured Rob Kline (vocals), Kelly McLauchlin (guitar, vocals), Tony Pernia (bass) and Chris Pernia (drums). Following a couple of demos and 1995's Absence of Light E.P., the group signed a deal with Lost Disciple Records for the release of 1997's Cult of the Initiated and 1999's Blood for the Gods -- both albums featuring brutally uncompromising, old school death metal. Constant touring and a smattering of festival appearances during this period garnered Pessimist a modest but loyal following in the American extreme metal underground, but everything came to a halt in 1999 when ? of their membership defected to start a new project, later to be known as Psychotogen. Now the band's last remaining original member, McLauchlin drafted Bill Hayden (guitar), Ralph Runyan (bass, vocals) and Mick Kimock and the re-vamped Pessimist eventually returned with their third album Slaughtering of the Faithful in 2002.