Divine Element - Divine Element
Divine Element unleash their debut with a poutpourri of black metal, folk metal, and death metal. This album is rich in content and should please most fans of any sort of metal with lots of melodies involved. It is a bit typical, but flows smoothly. The introductory track is soft and ambient featuring piano and symphonics; one would think they were being prepared for funeral death doom. Then "Of Darkness" kicks in and one can instantly tell how the melodic death metal/ black metal comes in. The riffs are well layered and the vocals switch between a growl and a snarl; thankfully they don't stay in the same tone all the way through. Oddly enough- in a good way- the drums and the bass tend to be the clearest and aren't lost in the mix, and because of this, offer some really great interludes when they work together alone.
Most of the interludes on these tracks are made up of folkish, acoustic moments. "A Day For The Huner..." layers the electric guitar with the acoustic plinks, but even during the heavier moments one can hear the folk elements behind the riffs. "Ancient Pride" is the most heavily acoustic influenced track, starting soft and half way going soft before exploding again into the catchy chugs of the heavier guitars. It is one of the most favored tracks on the album for its tendency to shy away from the typical sound of all the others. Another thing that works in Divine Element's favor is the clean vocals, which don't appear often, but again add more dynamic to the music. The clearest time you can hear them is on the final track, "Crossing the Rubicon."
While some fans may argue they are too similar to Amon Amarth or Eluevetie, it is safe to say that Divine Element stand out on their own as far as their sound goes. For a self produced album this is very well done- almost spotless- and the band even tends to focus on not just the guitar melodies, but the bass and drumming; the drumming is a major highlight. Whether one is into black or death metal this should be a great listen, and plus the lyrics are very thought provoking and not the usual drivel.
Most of the interludes on these tracks are made up of folkish, acoustic moments. "A Day For The Huner..." layers the electric guitar with the acoustic plinks, but even during the heavier moments one can hear the folk elements behind the riffs. "Ancient Pride" is the most heavily acoustic influenced track, starting soft and half way going soft before exploding again into the catchy chugs of the heavier guitars. It is one of the most favored tracks on the album for its tendency to shy away from the typical sound of all the others. Another thing that works in Divine Element's favor is the clean vocals, which don't appear often, but again add more dynamic to the music. The clearest time you can hear them is on the final track, "Crossing the Rubicon."
While some fans may argue they are too similar to Amon Amarth or Eluevetie, it is safe to say that Divine Element stand out on their own as far as their sound goes. For a self produced album this is very well done- almost spotless- and the band even tends to focus on not just the guitar melodies, but the bass and drumming; the drumming is a major highlight. Whether one is into black or death metal this should be a great listen, and plus the lyrics are very thought provoking and not the usual drivel.
- Introitus
- Of Darkness
- A Day For The Hunter, A Day For The Prey
- Dawn Of Battle
- Ancient Pride (Necromantia Cover)
- Fall Of Purity
- Crossing The Rubicon
Self released
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Feb 4, 2011
Feb 4, 2011
Next review:
Antediluvian - Watcher's Reign
Share this:
