Divine Realm

Tectum Argenti

02/23/2016

Leo Diensthuber
Marc Roy
Tyler Brayton
Josh Ingram

1. Tritos

The song begins with the sound of falling water, dripping and splashing on a surface, some electronic sounds fade in, with little pops and then a heavy electronic sounds setting things up for the guitars and drums to join in with an n explosive technical metal style. The guitar riff around the 1:10 mark is on point to what you would expect to hear, it is a classic guitar solo in the vein of Dream Theaters John Petrucci. This song is a killer track to start the album off with. The best way to explain this song, is that you are getting ready to listen to something much like if you took Dream Theater, Animals as Leaders, and The Algorithm put them all in a blender, and   then take that mix for something out of the ordinary realm of what you think progressive technical instrumental metal would sound like. This is an awesome track, and I can only expect that the rest of this album is just as good if not progressively better.

2. Cloak and Dagger

And it looks like my high hopes have panned out, this song has really taken that DT, AAL, The Algorithm, and Ennio Morricone and put it into perspective, wondering what the hell I am talking about. Well just play the song and you will hear the electronic sounds, and then the guitar riff, the crisp technical drums, and it is simply badass. Now wait until the: 45 second mark where the Ennio Morricone reference sinks in. Absolutely brilliant, this is a progressive technical death metal instrumental masterpiece! No one would have thought to put that section in a song, and I don’t think anyone could have pulled it off the way this band does it. Hot damn the 2:15 mark is equally as bad ass, and you will want to play this song again, and again, each time you will find yourself actually enjoying the song more and more, all the while appreciating every little note and section more and more. Right around the 3: 02 mark you will hear one of the simplest rhythms being played, and you will then acknowledge the fact that you can’t help but like it. It is outside the norm for progressive metal, technical metal, or any subgenre in between and it works so well.

3. Inherit The Earth

This song begins with the sound of nature, birds flying away and chirping. An electronic melody begins to fade in and then what sounds like a growl, and then the band jumps in with a real cool guitar riff and some really intricate drums laying down the base. The moment you get to the 1:28 mark you will experience one of the best musical sections for a metal release of 2016, (
I would also put 2015 also, it’s absolutely badass) this guitar riff right here is something you would hear from Marty Friedman from his solo work. I have found many uses for this specific section of song. I without a doubt could create hundreds of scenarios and descriptions/references to illustrate just how great it is. I have also used that riff as entrance music when coming home from work because why not. It works with anything. Ringtone, alarm clock entrance music, holding music, elevator music, driving music, music to get you amped up to play, music to chill out to. Shoot I could easily hear this song being a song in a video game also. This song is amazing, and I just don’t know how to explain it but this song alone is worth the cost of the whole album. It is without a doubt my favorite song on this album. You will be head banging, you will be tapping your foot, you will be playing air guitar, and air drums, and you will remember the name Divine Realm after this song.

4. Tectum Argenti

This song begins with some electronic sounds fading in, until the guitar dives head first with a soulful guitar riff, to set things up and then transitions into the technical metal sound. Throw in some quick precise drumming, and a few menacing guitar riffs, (you will know what I mean once you hear them) and lay down a killer groove that you can’t ignore. Right around the 1:55 mark the song goes into a cool section trading off bars, and then a quick little riff bringing the song down to almost nothing. Then after a few seconds the song picks back up with a cool groovy beat until they change again, raising the bar with more intricate guitar solos and drum patterns.

5. Glass Empire

The sound of electronics, and glass shattering can be heard then what sounds like a clock ticking, with some electronic sounds fading in until a short 1.2.3.4. pattern and the band jumps in with a guitar playing a solid rhythm, and the lead playing a cool riff,   they keep it up for a few seconds and then they raise the bar, attacking the more technical and intricate guitar riffs and fast technical drumming with laser focus precision execution. At 3:14 you will see what they are capable off and how they can seamlessly transition from breakneck guitar riffs and blistering fast drums to a more relaxed instrumental groove. I like the way the end the song, it seems to fade out, and become muffled sounding and then the only sounds you hear are some electronic noises and something that sounds like a heart monitor beeping.

6. Ab Aeterno

This song begins also with the electronic sounds, and has more of a mellow feel to it, similar to Scale The Summit’s delivery. It is a very relaxing, song with all guitar riffs and drum patterns moving with fluid motion. They really did their homework trying to determine the track order, and this is exactly where it should be. The whole album shreds, and it blows your mind with some of the sick guitar riffs, and the technicality of the song structures, but they use this song to really take you to a relaxed feeling, as if you are enjoying a cosmic oasis just floating along and taking in all the sights without a worry in the world. This is what I mean about how the music sets up scenery for the listener.

7. Metaphor of the Sun

This song has an interesting beginning, you can hear crackling fire, something that sounds like a clock ticking, a piano joins in playing a light melody, some electronic sounds start to join in. then BOOM the band gets right down to some really impressive guitar shredding, and technical drumming. This has such a damn solid groove it’s great, these guys can shred too, the guitar solos being played are incredible. They seem to have scrutinized every note to sheer perfection of timing and placement along with the rhythm of the song. We hear the piano again when the song takes on a jazzy style transition and the guitar is laying a soul filled riff. They come out of that with a heavy progressive metal feel, and the delivery is spot on. This is exactly the right song to end the album with, my only gripe, is now I wish the album had more tracks because I want more Divine Realm playing through my speakers.

This E.P. is awesome, this is one of those albums that when you hear it, it blows you away. It’s not a new genre, hell Animals as Leaders have been doing the instrumental thing since 2007. Plenty of bands are involved in the Instrumental or instrumental genre. Divine Realm don’t sound like they are trying to be the fastest or anything. They are playing some genre bending progressive technical instrumental metal with some impressive elements blended in. From the electronic programmed sounds and rhythms, to the sections like in Cloak and Dagger where it takes you to a different scene altogether. This album is mind blowing, I have no regrets giving this album 10/10 it blew me away, and these guys are very impressive.   Every song has a specific detail that when that change happens and you hear it, you are surprised. You aren’t expecting it, and they have this method where they are playing technical metal, the song doesn’t just change, it almost evolves into a new section, and really gives you some images of a scene. When you listen to this album you will find yourself almost imagining a scene, or image that this album really generates flawlessly. For the many of you that will actually listen to this, if you have not heard Diving Realm before, well after you listen to this album, you will know their name and remember what you felt when you listened to this great release.

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