80s tech masters Pestilence issue their second dose of Dutch death following reanimation. With the seemingly simultaneous reactivation of like-minded contemporaries Atheist, Believer and Cynic, as well as youngsters’ interest in the likes of Protest The Hero, Cephalic Carnage, Disrythmia and the emerging djent movement, perhaps things will be better the second time around.

Disrythmia and the emerging djent movement, perhaps things will be better the second time around.

Opening with ‘The Predication’ voiceover, turned rant, the remaining ten (single word) titles immediately revive the atypical/off kilter scales, backed by Patrick Mameli’s tortured vocals. These would be the antithesis of lengthy jazz improvisations, most clocking in around 3:30 and only ‘Divinity’ breaking the four minute barrier (4:05). That said, there are conventional musical flourishes within the brutal death metal structures, most notably parts of ‘Salvation’ and ‘Absolution’. Spacey, otherworldly noises introduce ‘Absolution’, which then retains a more sinister pursuit. Purists might disagree, but if comparisons are to be made to the back catalog, "Doctrine" slides between closest to "Consuming Impulse" and "Testimony Of The Ancients": not raw enough to approach the former, nor consistently refined enough for the latter, although the (relatively) commercialized ‘Deception’ has all the hallmarks (particularly jazzy bass lines) of a "Spheres" album outtake.