ALBUM REVIEW: Division – Deathtura

The realms of thrash and groove metal have shared a blossoming partnership over the years, intertwining speed, technicality and aggression to create some truly devastating material. Belgium’s DEATHTURA are hoping to harness and channel this synergy in the form of debut full length release Division which is due for release via WormHoleDeath on October 26th.

Purgatory Of Our Future gets the album under the way with groovy leads and energetic kick drums. The gritty tones of newly recruited front man Bastion Flames ebb and flow between melody and sharp growls. The track strides along at a leisurely but punchy tempo easing you into proceedings. Help Me Confide continues in a similar vain with edgy riffing including some proficient solo work to spice things up. Escape The Time provides an addictive vocal prose which links up seamlessly with the guitar rhythms alongside accessible chorus lines which should entice participation when DEATHTURA take these songs out on the road.

Fury takes a thrashier approach, injecting a brief burst of extra pace into the mix before normality resumes. The knack for catchy hooks is evident but there isn’t much else about this track that elevates it beyond the previous offerings. Broken Man’s Road gallops into battle with some downtuned, dirty riffing, wearing their PANTERA influence on their sleeves as Divisions begins to gain some momentum. The interesting choice of following that up with the ballad-esque Killing Your Threats throws a roadblock in front of that simmering intensity. Ironically the track is one of the albums shining moments as it showcases the kind of diversity that was sorely needed. Flames shows off his skills with some emotive vocal segments, proudly towering over the arrangement.

Not A Fool slips back into old habits and despite it being quite a solid standalone track it feels very familiar territory to the previous tracks. Confess For Them introduces a bit of flair with some powerful vocal punches and layered riffing to pique your interest. Sick Of Being You takes a more aggressive turn with some chunky bass lines, evil sounding shred work and bellowing growls. The groove metal vibes resurface as In Sight offers a mixture of clean tones and lively shredding entwined with a hard hitting chorus before The Kid introduces another puzzling twist in the form of acoustic country stylings. As the track progresses the energy heightens in melodic surges providing a memorable if not slightly confusing climax.

DEATHTURA have provided quite the conundrum with Division and it will aptly divide opinion. The Belgian outfit show a lot of promise with a penchant for catchy riffs and memorable hooks but at times their tracks can become very linear and predictable. The times they do show experimentation they are in the form of total curveballs which sound like a band struggling to determine which road they want to travel down. It will be intriguing to see what shape future releases take but as far as Division is concerned it is a solid if not relatively formulaic debut which may not cater to your musical palette.

Rating: 6/10

Division is due for release on October 26th via WormHoleDeath.

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