Review Summary: Being basically, Theory-in-Practice-inspired Into Eternity on steroids, Divinity strikes the ultimate balance between technicality, melody and progression.
When I first saw the video for the song "Plasma" off this album, I was mindblown. Apart from the amazing video itself, "Plasma"s music is one of the best blends of prog technicality and melody I've ever heard. These Canadians are not joking, let me tell you. They're heavy, brutal, yet surprisingly melodic and catchy and their debut album Allegory is a huge hitter.
The music on Allegory is an absolute S-class when it comes to pure skill of the musicians. Riddled with inventive drum patterns and guitar work, with a healthy dose of synths when needed, Divinity have taken over where bands like Into Eternity have stopped delivering and pushed this form of music to new extremes. Don't get me wrong, this is difficult music and may take considerable time to get into, but the rewards are well worth it.
So, "Allegory" starts with the song Induce, one of the definite hits of the album. Its intro and first guitar riff are absolutely stunning and amazing in every way. The next song continues this trend, while another explosion of controlled madness hits you when "Plasma" comes in playing. Now this one is something else, this song is a must for anyone who considers themselves a prog/tech death metal fan. It'll leave you dumbfounded and lusting for more, that's guaranteed. The next track, "Methodic" is one of the softer ones and contains more melody, bringing the band closer to Into Eternity's aesthetics, while "Modern Prophecy" contains a very moving passage as well. "The Unending" starts with a tasteful piano motiff and develops into a very interesting song in its own right. This album stuns from beginning to end, as proven by the frantic "NeuroTyrant". Gosh, what a smasher.
These guys are experts in everything they do, and the vocals are no exception. The vocalist's main form of vocalization are mid to high pitched screams - and those are executed superbly, putting to shame not only the wussy-ass pricks like Richard Sjunnesson of Sonic Syndicate, but also many less faggy screamers - plain goodness. The clean vocals are beautiful and the singer's timbre fits the futuristic imagery and vibe perfectly, adding to the effect with very original vocal melodies, and most importantly - the insightful and meaningful lyrics. Seriously, this band's lyrics are some of the best you'll find out there - you defninitely should pay a visit to darklyrics.com and indulge yourself in a stimulating lecture while enjoying the highly intellectually stimulating music.
All in all, Divinity are an act that blends the sounds known from Into Eternity and the now-defunct Swedish band, Theory in Practice - that would be a pretty accurate way to describe their sound. Pretty accurate although not necessarily comprehensive, therefore I strongly urge you to listen to this album for yourselves and see. Divinity conveys freshness I haven't heard in a really long while, and though it's difficult music it's very enjoyable once you learn the songs by heart. Check them out!
