CoC : Divinity Destroyed - Eden in Ashes : Review

Divinity Destroyed - _Eden in Ashes_
(Independent, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10)

Divinity Destroyed hail from Tom's River, NJ, and play a pretty standard style of progressive metal, though they do add some death metal vocals, which gives them a somewhat original sound. They remind me a little bit of Twilight Kingdom -- mostly because of the clean vocals -- and of course, Dream Theater, but I don't often get the feeling that I've heard their music before. Their riffs aren't very technical, but they do a pretty good job of dressing them up to keep things interesting. For example, the way the drums in "Threnody" get progressively more complex is a nice subtle touch. They also go for a more complex sound at times, such as the intricate layered section in "Sweet Heresy". I'm not so fond of the few happy-sounding melodies that they used, but then again I never like happy music, so that might just be me. The playing is a little rough around the edges, but is generally competent. There are a few places where they're not as tight as they could be, but these are mostly minor issues. The vocals are split roughly evenly between death metal growls and clean singing. Generally, the vocals are well done, but some of the backing vocals are off key. The production is decent, though not of the highest quality: although all of the instruments are clearly audible, it has a rough quality that makes it sound unprofessional. In general, this is a promising offering, though they certainly have plenty of room for improvement. I'd like to see them polish their sound and work on more elaborate compositions. With these improvements, they could be a force to reckon with in the progressive metal scene.

Contact: http://www.divinitydestroyed.com

(article published 19/6/2004)