History & Biography New York State, USA-based Pyrexia was active between 1990 and 1999, disbanded when Basile and the rest of the group joined Catastrophic with ex-Obituary guitarist Trevor Peres and subsequently re-emerged, of course, in this case in 2001. Demo 1991 featuring singer Darryl Wagner and guitarist Guy Marchais, formerly of Suffocation, was followed by 1992’s Liturgy Of Impurity. This demo was well-received, made a name for the band in the underground and featured a full line-up, which also meant an actual drummer. As always, some label re-issued this demo years later. The group opened for Suffocation and Immolation in New York. Promo 1993 preceded the band’s first album, Sermon Of Mockery. The band appeared at Maryland Deathfest. Singer Wagner left to pursue his IT career. Pathos Productions released an EP called Hatred, Anger And Disgust in 1995. Rob Maresca had taken over the stool and Keith DeVito was on mike. DeVito was called “more understandable” compared to Darryl Wagner by the band. He was more leaning towards hardcore. Phil Selfridge was new on guitar. System Of The Animal was on a Danish label and would be the band’s last new music for a decade. Chris Basile had moved to the guitar position.
Age Of The Wicked, once again, had the band assembling a new line-up including drummer DiPinto and singer Shute. Japanese guitarist Mizoguchi Makoto came and went in 2007. Erick Shute was convicted of shooting and killing three men and attempting to murder a fourth in a neighbouring property and given a life sentence in 2018. Feast Of Iniquity had the drum duty shared between Doug Bohn (ex-Suffocation) and Dave Culross (ex-Malevolent Creation). Bohn would relocate to Florida next. Feast Of Iniquity was recorded at New York’s Pitch Black Sound and mixed and mastered by Chris “Zeuss” Harris. The band played Europe with Beheaded and Unfathomable. Castigating Europe Tour 2013 supported the release. A tour with Six Feet Under and Jungle Rot was cancelled. Singer Kevin Muller and guitarist Charlie Errigo (later in Suffocation) came and went in 2014. Bloodletting North America tour featuring Arsis, Decrepit Birth, Internal Bleeding, Pyrexia, Angelmaker and Within Destruction was scheduled for October and November 2018. The Grand Slam European 2018 Tour occurred between November 9th to 24th and featured Sinaya, Pyrexia, Pathology, Epicardiectomy and Kraanium. Gravitas Maximus, which was issued in late 2021, surprisingly maintained a couple of members from the last album although drummer Ryan Hilerio was new. Never mind that he had left by the time the album was issued and replaced by John Grassburner.
The 2004 compilation Cruelty Beyond Submission featured three new tracks. These were later re-used on Age Of The Wicked. Pyrexia had a lyric video for Purging The Nemesis, which was taken from the 25th anniversary re-recorded edition of the System Of The Animal album. The new version was available in June 2023. In support of the re-recorded edition, Pyrexia was touring the USA East Coast with Cerebral Incubation (Unique Leader), Atoll (Unique Leader) and Reeking Aura (Parasitic Records) in the summer of 2023. The band was booked for a show called Texas Beatdown Massacre with Immortal Suffering in November.
The word pyrexia means ‘fever.’
Reviews PYREXIA - CRUELTY BEYOND SUBMISSION - REX
Rex Records' first release is the Pyrexia compilation Cruelty Beyond Submission. The CD features three songs from the veteran New York death metal band and features eight other songs culled from the band's earlier CDs.
Pyrexia has always been a little under-appreciated. Many saw Pyrexia as a New York alternative to Suffocation when the former's first CD was issued some ten years ago. The album packed quite a punch back then and still holds its own to this day. Several years later in 1997 and on a trip to the Michigan Death Fest a couple of us bought the band's then-newest disc from a complete moron at the Relapse stand. The time seemed right for Pyrexia again given the quality of that MCD. Alas, the band fell victim to laziness, inactivity and line-up changes and disappeared all over again. Cruelty Beyond Submission is a renewed sign of life from the band - apart from a few members' names being associated with other projects over the years - and a welcome outing. The band's older material speaks for itself, but the newer songs, featuring Chris Basile as the only remaining original member, prove Pyrexia is still a good band. The death metal style of the New Yorkers is no longer innovative, yet there is much to like here. The vocals are brutal, the guitars menacing and the new drummer makes sure he rides his toms in an apparent effort to assure older fans that this is still Pyrexia.
What is most amazing (or is that amusing?) is how the band's press release notes that the CD is available at Best Buy, Circuit City and other zits of the American corporate concentration. Have those companies seen the cover of this album? Or have they checked out the inside illustrations? Titles like Life Long Hate, Bludgeoned By Deformity and Hatred Anger And Disgust should make for a good shock to the system of the animal casually browsing through the racks looking for the latest country and western asshole only to come across Pyrexia! Apparently, this CD can be fun in more than one way. - Ali "The Metallian"
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