ALBUM REVIEW: Undead Melody – Dark Divine

The metalcore Floridians that brought you Halloweentown are back with more haunting symphonies on their fourth album, Undead Melody. DARK DIVINE have a knack for taking inspiration around them and turning it into something completely new. This latest record is an example of how to expand your wheelhouse without leaving day one fans out in the lurch. Although some songs do get a bit lost in the crowd, there is a clear vision here. And that vision is dark, spooky, but profoundly poetic and skilfully composed.

Thematically, the record doesn’t stay in one place for long, which keeps it from sounding like thirteen versions of the same song. Lead vocalist Anthony Martinez‘s raw emotion fills the record from start to finish, as it both stings and soothes. Frustration and heartache lace the lyrics rolling through waves of heavy, melancholic, though not hopeless melodies. The emotions in tracks like Fading Away are broad enough to allow listeners to create a personal connection while sharing a universal experience.

On the back end of the record, there’s The Void, which, as the name suggests, is heavy and dark. One of the heaviest tracks here, and they’ve thrown everything at it. With blistering riffs, thunderous drums, and pummelling bass lines, it’s a song that resonates in the soul. It also showcases Martinez‘s ability to seamlessly switch between harsh screams and beautifully clean vocals. It’s what the record needs at this point in the tracklist, as some songs fall adrift. Half Past Dead(Unbury Me) precedes The Void in the sequence. Although nothing is inherently wrong with the track, it is in the shadow of its cohorts. It’s an easy listen, clever lyrics, haunting synths, adding to the spooky charm of the album. But it’s just not leaping out in the same way other tracks do.

In true DARK DIVINE fashion, no album would be complete without their staple macabre charm. Theatrics are finding a home in the metal mainstream again, and three cheers to that. MOTIONLESS IN WHITE and ICE NINE KILLS are quite synonymous with this, and it’s clear DARK DIVINE wants to join them at the top. Midnight Masquerade, Freakshow, and Halloweentown II: Welcome Home are playful, entertaining, and just a bit of fun. Martinez explores themes of the curious underbelly associated with the elusives at the top in Midnight Masquerade.

Whereas, Freakshow and Halloweentown II: Welcome Home are full of playful mischief guaranteed to blow people away in a live performance. They close out their whirlwind record strong with This Is Not The End (It Just Feels Like It). It feels like the song is gasping for breath in the best possible way. A rhythmic beat that’s easy to follow with an exciting build to it. The only thing that’s missing from this collection is a collaboration with Chris Motionless, as he would be right at home here.

Rating: 7/10

Undead Melody is out now via Thriller Records.