Divinity Destroyed – “Eden in Ashes”
This album was recorded in 2002 and it’s being released in 2005. In theory, what this band is doing makes no sense. However, when I listen to it, it does make sense. It works. It doesn’t matter that the album is barely 30 minutes of music. Well, let’s see. Here’s a sort of play by play of one song just to show you. “Empty the Sky,” song number six. 0:00-:25: quick repetition of catchy melodic metal riff. The keyboards begin to enter and the drums begin to get going, the song takes off. 0: 25-:40: the song is jamming along, in a metal/headbanging speed. The guitar tone is some sort of downtuned/death/thrash. 0:40-:45: the guitar gives way to a thumping, bass-driven beat and soon the singing (clean, clear, but not air-raid siren) begins while the cool, heavy beat is going. Catchy little ditty. At about 1:00 the guitar returns and the rhythm is more, straight metal riffing. You can hear the bass and the keyboards in the background quite clearly. This continues until 1:40 when the song returns to the bass beat and then alternates with the more guitar-y parts until 2:16. Then another bass-driven part comes in while the singing turns into whispering. Then the song seems to end. At 2:40 the song continues with some bass and drum work, helped along by a nice, little guitar ditty. At about 3:20 the guitar breaks into lightning, finger-bleeding guitar solo, then switches the solo to a slower, catchier part. The guitar is kind of singing. 3:50: the song returns to the main, headbanging rhythm and double-bass, frantic speed and the singing breaks into all-out death/black metal growling. The song ends at about 4:05. This may not sound very unusual or great when I describe it. That’s simply because I write badly. This band is some sort of metal hybrid with melodic metal/singing and growling with thrashing parts, melancholic, moody, emotional moments. I’m pleasantly surprised and impressed. I thought I was going to hate this band for trying to do too much in a song, but they make it work. It works!