Dead And Divine
Antimacy

Release Date: 2011 | Tracklist

Dead and Divine are an anomaly in the modern metalcore scene. At some point the old style of metalcore with just complex dissoanant riffs and mathy time signature died off. Then the scenesters took over to bombard the music world with 500 bands that all sound exactly the same. They just stole the simplest and least necessary parts from different genres. They stole the most generic kind of chorus's from pop music, the most unoriginal breakdowns from hardcore, and the swagger of auto-tune toting hip-hop. They're just good looking kids who are too lazy for real jobs or school, and too pussy to just sell weed. It will likely be over soon. So, is it possible for a metalcore band to write real songs and be a legit band in the world of rock music?

This is where Dead and Divine come in. These canucks have been starting to breakthrough in the American underground music scene. Their sound is slightly reminiscent of their aging American contemporaries Every Time I Die. It is similar in that they combine elements from the earlier sound of metalcore with a heavy dose of late 70's rock n' roll. The instant you put Antimacy on you can hear the talent of these individuals and the versatility they have available with their sound. The sonic crushing sound waves burst through your speakers and it's hard not to enjoy. While being on the darker side of melody, they manage to create a sound thats heavy, yet fun and accessible. The guitars chug in lurching low end botch-esque chaos and soar with catchy harmonic lead melodies. The drummer plays slamming but not overly technical rhythms that fit perfectly alongside the heavy guitar riffs. The singer Matt Tobin has got some serious talent and versatility. His voice ranges from a bellowing mid range rasp up to an angelic delicate falsetto hitting every spot in between.

Almost all the songs could work as singles, maintaining a nice level of pop accessibility. They usually consist of riff heavy verse's, melodic chorus's, with well placed half time parts and creative bridges in between. The chorus in Asphyxia Fiend uses a brilliant mix of uplifting melodic-ism with harmonic dissonance. One of the best parts of this band is how well they make their choruses work in the music, they fit right along with the heavy riffing, and they are never out of place. The same goes for their breakdowns. When I say breakdowns I don't mean open hand chug a chug a duhduhduhduhduhduh or crushing 1's as slow as possible. They work as parts because they realize a breakdown is just a part that uses a half-time feel. The song Antimacy demonstrates this well when it comes out swinging with a damn catchy halftime riff that plays throughout the first verse. Many of the songs on this album maintain similar verse/chorus/verse structures. The album is very fast paced and doesn't slow down much until the electronic instrumental track Nothing Is Alright. The best parts on this album are when they close a song with a triumphant variation of the chorus. The ending chorus of Carcinoma demonstrates this well showcasing the vocals. It shows what a great singer Matt is with his fluttering delicate clean voice that resonates gorgeously above the music.

The lyric's on the album match very well with the music. They are very pissed off. The metaphors on this album seem to be about someone with drug problems. Whether that be the singer or someone else, I don't know but it can be a delicate subject and addiction is nothing glamorous. The album seems to be about someone who's life gets torn about by drugs and the things he experiences along with it. When you give in and only have pity on yourself, and dwell in your own lonely existence. While there are some upbeat moments on this album it enjoys rolling around in the dirt the most, pummeling you with crushing riffs and dissonant guitar squeels. The biggest downfall to this album is towards the end you get tired of hearing these same riffs, no matter how good they sound. This album really could have used a little more variation. Seriously with this quality of singer I wouldn't mind if they incorporate more clean vocals into the mix and eliminate the chorus(sing) verse(scream) barrier. I seriously love the sound this band has. I would like to see them incorporate some more experimental elements into the music because I think that is the only thing this band is missing. Someone just needs to get them into the more recent Underoath albums or and I think we will have a serious new competitor in the modern metal/hardcore scene.

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3.6 great

Rank: #118 for 2011