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Old school death metallers Divine Empire kick off 2004 with their brand new release “Nostradamus”. One might think that having lost drummer extraordinaire Derek Roddy would be a severe blow, but no. The replacement, Duane Timlin, in fact impresses the hell out of me at least. The production also emphasizes the precise drumming. The drums are backed up by a well sounding bass, which is spunky as well as filling the lower frequency band nicely. The guitars on the contrary are somewhat weak, and my guitarist friend complained loudly after hearing this album about guitarists not punishing their instruments “enough”. I agree with him that the guitars could definitely use more attack and attitude. The vocal part mostly consists of growls, and these are nicely performed. Sadly, the growls are not the only vocal element. There are shrieky vocals as well, and these are far from satisfying, lacking immensely in impact. I like having different vocal styles mixed, giving that extra bit of variation, but in this case I think they should have stuck with growls only. The weak guitars and shrieks are definitely the Achilles heal of their aggressive Florida metal. The tunes are as expected more brutal than interesting, but not bad at all. If Florida style death metal is your cup of tea, this album will, even though it is not outstanding, do it for you.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Sacrifice In Vain |
| 2. Ravaged |
| 3. Tribulation |
| 4. They Rise |
| 5. Manifestation |
| 6. Season Of Extinction |
| 7. The Pain Remains |
| 8. Basher |
| 9. Aggravated Battery |
| 10. Cuidate Del Traidor |
: 30.05
| Buy other Divine Empire albums |
