If you're one of the many who wish to scratch the itch left in the void of Swedish black/death crossover metal by bands like Dissection and Sacramentum, Undivine might just be what you've been waiting for. Into Dust is their 2nd full-length and picks up where last year's A Deceitful Calm left off. Tight musicianship, solid and loud production, and a vicious brutality ripe with bleeding melodies and intense drumming.The band's resume is long, and its members hail from In Aeternum, Withered Beauty, Isole, Theory in Practice and some lesser known demo level bands. The intro to this album is an orchestral piece, well written with an elevating guitar melody backed by synths and some chant-like vocals. "From Sickness and Diseases" lunges forth with screaming guitar melodies and inhuman blasting. Despite its energy, I didn't care for this track. "Deadbells" is instantly more memorable, with great riffing and a hyper melodeath polish to the verses. Tommy Holmer does little new with his vocals, it's the same cutting edge snarl we know from many melodic death or black metal bands, but it's certainly powerful. And power is what this band does best, from the punishing "Sowing the Seeds of Downfall" to the treacherous "Vomiting Ancient Blood". "I Dream Death" is possibly the best song here, a slow brooding piece with some great melodic moments and a lucid atmosphere.
Into Dust is given a huge, professional treatment that rivals many of the best black/death metal albums in history. The synths are used liberally to accent specific riffs, and they do add to this. The band's leads are striking, and the musicianship is all around excellent. Despite the many strengths to the album, I didn't find it memorable through its entirety. Certainly, there is enough here, to please fans of this hybrid style which emerged in the 90s.
Verdict: Win [7/10]
http://www.myspace.com/undivineswe
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