Divine Rapture - The Burning Passion
2003 - Listenable Records
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Listenable Records web site.
Morbid Angel have certainly got a lot to answer for. Since they hit critical acclaim and mass fan acceptance with their brand of esoteric, down-tuned death metal, hundreds of bands have been digesting the albums and cynically reproducing the formula of the Floridian legend's songs without capturing that spirit of adventure and experimental extremism that marked Azagthoth's less-than-merry men out as one of the most exciting death metal bands around. Typewriter-sounding clicky triggered drums, discordant and sprawling riffage, gutturally enunciated growling lyrics, subsonic bass, served at room temperature, next please.
Divine Rapture are the latest in a long, long line of Morbid Angel clones delivering technically excellent, but generic and uninspiring MA/Hate Eternal worship. Starting with the obligatory symphonic 'evil' intro, and plonking an overlong and contrived 'epic' keyboard/synth interlude smack bang in the middle of the album, Divine Rapture play every technique in the generic death metal rulebook, showing an awe-inspiring lack of creativity or individualism which is at least equal to their admittedly impressive musical ability. The saving grace of these songs are the disquieting, discordant but still esoterically melodic solos - straight out of Morbid Angel's lava pit, obviously, but never less than entertaining.
However, sadly everything about this band has been done before... the production may have a touch more bass than anything Morrisound studios have ever pumped out, but the clicky, triggered drums are limp as a wet noodle and everything sounds far too quiet to be at all threatening.
Not too impressive at all.
3/10
2003 - Listenable Records
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Listenable Records web site.
Morbid Angel have certainly got a lot to answer for. Since they hit critical acclaim and mass fan acceptance with their brand of esoteric, down-tuned death metal, hundreds of bands have been digesting the albums and cynically reproducing the formula of the Floridian legend's songs without capturing that spirit of adventure and experimental extremism that marked Azagthoth's less-than-merry men out as one of the most exciting death metal bands around. Typewriter-sounding clicky triggered drums, discordant and sprawling riffage, gutturally enunciated growling lyrics, subsonic bass, served at room temperature, next please.
Divine Rapture are the latest in a long, long line of Morbid Angel clones delivering technically excellent, but generic and uninspiring MA/Hate Eternal worship. Starting with the obligatory symphonic 'evil' intro, and plonking an overlong and contrived 'epic' keyboard/synth interlude smack bang in the middle of the album, Divine Rapture play every technique in the generic death metal rulebook, showing an awe-inspiring lack of creativity or individualism which is at least equal to their admittedly impressive musical ability. The saving grace of these songs are the disquieting, discordant but still esoterically melodic solos - straight out of Morbid Angel's lava pit, obviously, but never less than entertaining.
However, sadly everything about this band has been done before... the production may have a touch more bass than anything Morrisound studios have ever pumped out, but the clicky, triggered drums are limp as a wet noodle and everything sounds far too quiet to be at all threatening.
Not too impressive at all.
3/10
