Ontario based prog-metallers Divine Realm have been on an impressive streak of killer releases one after the other since 2014’s Abyssal Light release saw the project take on a full line-up and really flesh out what they were capable of. I’ve been following the group since 2013’s Mor[t]ality EP when the band was a one-man project of guitarist Leo Diensthuber. Even in the beginning, the group easily stood out from the instrumental metal wannabe’s with a distinct style that’s continued to be refined and evolved upon with each release. Which leads us to today’s early stream of Nordicity, a new five-song effort that I’m psyched to premiere today ahead of its release this Friday, March 2nd.
While groove is, and always has been, a big part of what drives Divine Realm’s music rhythm-wise, it’s hardly all they have to offer here musically. The lead guitar work throughout Nordicity is beautiful as is par for the course for their music and often takes on a hook type role to fill in the absence of vocals in the songs. You get a lot of shred metal leadwork and solos, but also quite a bit of rock and bluesy ideas too. There’s a soulful and emotive quality to much of the leads and solos that’s damn memorable and a big part of what makes their music interesting.
Beyond the stunning lead work, and heavy and elastic riffing, the bass takes on a smooth-yet-audible role adding another dimension to the music missing from many cold and mechanical sounding groove-centric instrumental acts. Above all, it’s the group’s intricate and adventurous songwriting that makes Nordicity such an interesting effort. Unlike a lot of instrumental progressive metal releases, the songs aren't centered around the endless repetition of the same few ideas, instead, the group opts for songs that effortlessly flow from idea to idea in a way that makes each of them feel like a rich explorative journey. So be sure to check out our early stream of Nordicity below. If you dig what you’re hearing, Nordicity can be pre-ordered through Itunes here, and through Bandcamp here. You can follow the group over on the Divine Realm Facebook Page as well.
