Pestilence | Doctrine
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
Following their welcome reformation in 2008 (and fittingly titled album, Resurrection Macabre), death metallers Pestilence are back with another new batch of morbid tracks, this time in the form of Doctrine. Reuniting front-man Patrick Mameli with classic-era bassist Jeroen Paul Thesseling, Doctrine sees the band simultaneously moving forward and looking back. Unfortunately, however, they seem to have overlooked an important part of the band’s signature sound, which may cause long-term fans a bit of dismay.
While Doctrine is a solid, technical death metal release, boasting John Tardy-like agonizing screams and a fair bit of groove that the band is known for, it lacks the weirdness that made Testimony of the Ancients and Spheres such groundbreaking death metal releases. For those unfamiliar, these albums saw Pestilence mix their death metal styling with a healthy portion of fusion jazz, creating a completely original (at the time) metal monster. While still present in small doses (notably in “Absolution” and the bass lines of “Amgod”), the fusion elements are far too sparse to sustain the band’s uniqueness.
While still a decent release, what ultimately keeps Doctrine from being a truly great album is this lack of fusion elements that made Pestilence so interesting in the first place. Instead, Doctrine sees Pestilence sounding a bit too much like bands of their ilk, and with its inherent lack of modern death metal hyper speed, the album ends up feeling a bit dated. While it’s easy to understand that a band may want to shake off some of the chains that bind them to a style, it can also take away their individuality. Mudvayne’s self-titled LP from last year is a great example of this, as is Cruachan’s Blood on the Black Robe.
The bottom line is, those who were fans of Pestilence because of their unique classic albums may be a bit disappointed with the less-bizarre 2011 incarnation of the band, longing for the days of headbanging dark fusion. New listeners would do well to pick up the aforementioned Testimony of the Ancients and Spheres to experience the majesty of Pestilence, as Doctrine is not the best indoctrination into a once brilliant band. Both groups should stay hopeful for a more far-out album next time, lest the band become just another drop in the ever-growing death metal pool.
Genre: Death Metal
Band:
Patrick Mameli (g,v)
Patrick Uterwijk (g)
Jeroen Paul Thesseling (b)
Yuma Van Eekelen (d)
Track Listing:
1. The Predication (Intro)
2. Amgod
3. Doctrine
4. Salvation
5. Dissolve
6. Absolution
7. Sinister
8. Divinity
9. Deception
10. Malignant
11. Confusion
Label: Mascot Records
Website: http://pestilence.nl/
Hardrock Haven rating: 6/10