Divercia
Cycle of Zero
7.6
I've never liked gothic metal, really. While I'm not a death metal meathead by any means, I've always felt sort of fake by trying to get into the stuff. So with that said, how am I able to give such a score to Finland's Divercia? Simply put, it's undeniably a good album that I just can't find a reason to dislike.
The opening track "Of Steel And Man", sounds like a more synth focused version of latterday In Flames with the most notable exception being the inclusion of Dave Mustaine-sounding vocals. The track bounces back and forth from sort of a spoken/sung verse to a growled chorus. While not a bad song, it struck me with feelings of terror that I was about to try and review an unreviewable album. Although starting off on that somewhat confusing note, the band quickly regain their footing and take a firm stance. The following track, "Iron Hearted Cross" leaves me no choice but to brand them with the much feared title of gothic metal, perhaps in the way bands like Sentenced and Cryhavoc are considered to be of the same ilk. Using clean male vocals and splicing them with rhythmic growls, Divercia fends off the urge to produce completely melancholy and somber music. They're actually very upbeat and melodic at times, making me extremely reluctant to pigeonhole them to that specific genre. I've read a lot of comparisons to Dimmu Borgir, but I can't say I definitely hear it. "7.62" is far more of a traditional gothic rock song with its spacey melody and droning guitarwork paired together with a yelled chorus. Their keyboards are well produced, at times reminding me in both tone and quality of older Amorphis or even Edge of Sanity. They're excellently done and it's uplifting to hear a band incorporate synthesizers into their music without faltering terribly. Teemu Laitinen of Thy Serpent makes his first appearance with the band on Cycle of Zero, proving he's just as stable behind the kit whether he's playing satanic or emotional metal.
Really, what it comes down to - if you absolutely abhor the direction that bands like In Flames and Sentenced went into, don't go near Cycle of Zero. Granted, it's not the same, and although it's unfair to lump them into that category as they sound much more like a Spinefarm band, they share some defining elements. But for fans of dark metal who crave something heavier, it's hard to go wrong with Divercia.
