ALBUM REVIEW: Divided By Darkness – Spirit Adrift
SPIRIT ADRIFT are a band that has seen considerable growth since their inception. Their debut release, Chained To Oblivion, saw the band slapped with the rather devaluing moniker of doom metal, when in actual fact they were capable of crossing many borders of their music and to pigeon hole them in such a manor was almost derogatory. Their second release Curse Of Conception however, saw the band pushing the proverbial envelope with regards to their songwriting and honing their craft. Now in 2019 SPIRIT ADRIFT return with their third album Divided By Darkness and look to grow even more as songwriters, matching the promise that was made on Curse Of Conception of what the band was capable of.
Divided By Darkness opens with We Will Not Die is a dose of pure nostalgia. The joint lead guitar attack – both of which were recorded by frontman Nate Garrett – provides an excellent melody and a display of the band’s technical prowess. The rhythm section is iced perfectly to give the song a solid bass without being too high in the mix and smothering the other instruments. The vocal melody almost sounds like something you would hear in a power metal track and sounds like a real call arms with Garrett making the most of his high register. Towards the end of the track the audience is treated to a superb harmonised guitar run and a trade-off of guitar solos which will give the guitar nerds something to really sink their teeth in to. A stellar way to open the album.
The following eponymous track carries on in very much the same vein. However, the guitar and bass tones are far heavier from the outset and give the fans a chance to bang their heads along to the solid rhythm. Another superb guitar solo is thrown in to the mix just before the two minute mark, demonstrating yet another example of the advanced technicality at the band’s disposal without overstaying it’s welcome. The vocals this time out have a little more gravel and fry to them with Garrett snarling certain parts for added effect. Another welcome inclusion is the bridge section of the song which sees the band taking a lead out of the book of MASTODON and delivering something fresh to the album.
The track Living Light opens with an assault on the ear drums from drummer Marcus Bryant with what has to be his most impressive moment on the entirety of Divided By Darkness. The guitar sound is exquisite once again and plays brilliantly along with the full drum sound to create a huge sound all around. This song once again shows the band changing direction multiple times with pace changes and the inclusion of sudden clean sections leading in to massive drops that keep the listener guessing throughout. The vocals soar high over the top of the ensuing chaos and layer up in harmonies in the same way the great DEVIN TOWNSEND utilises the exact same technique. At around the three minute mark of the track we hear possibly the heaviest moment on the entire release where the band seem to fully embrace their doom metal influences and deliver a crushingly heavy, slow paced riff that sounds as if the gates of hell themselves have opened.
Overall Divided By Darkness is a massive leap forward for SPIRIT ADRIFT. The songs are well crafted and written, the ideas seem to be flowing and appear to be never ending and the musicianship is impressive throughout. The band has branched so far in their creative output and have explored so many different avenues musically the fact that people still call them a doom metal band is pretty laughable. If SPIRIT ADRIFT can continue to release music of this calibre going forward then big things could be just around the corner for them.
Rating: 8/10
Divided By Darkness is set for release May 10th via 20 Buck Spin.
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