Female fronted metal from... this time around from somewhere else than Europe and USA: Divine Ascension hail from the Down Under. Being a totally new acquaintance to me, the band already had one full-length album released prior to 'Liberator'. The record label ViciSolum Productions have made a bold statement: "Female fronter metal has never sounded like this before." Well, how exact is this claim? How exact could it possible be?!

I'd say that there's some truth in that statement. Yes, it's 2015 and there actually is a seed of truth in that kind of a sentence. Not anything big, but even a pinch can sometimes, nowadays, make a necessary change. That said, Divine Ascension (DA from now on) do sound familiar for a big part. One link, a rather voluminous one, that immediately stroke me, is with Swedish legends of melodic progressive (power) metal, Evergrey. Yes, that's DA's trade, too. Another two, but more vague ones are their countrymates Black Majesty and US veterans Kamelot. If you enjoy about these aforementioned bands, I can assure that DA is for you, especially with Evergrey, a band that I've followed rather closely.

With 'Liberator', DA really sound like a band coming from the first half of 2000s. Well, music-wise that is, because the production values are extremely high and contemporary here: Weight of the sound and its clarity are perfectly matched. There's room for nuances, too, for every instrument and especially for the vocals. At times there's huge amount of things going on, but it never gets choked. The album was recorded at various studios, but it hasn't affected the sound in a bad way. The production job really maximizes the listening pleasure here, believe me. I'm not an audiophile, but wow, it really makes a difference.

Big, chugging rhythm guitar work together with the rhythm section is the thing that makes this sound more modern, too. To make it clear: This is no nu-metal, or something like that, but sometimes tugging (meaning rhythmic, pause-laden riffing concomitant with drum hits). Hefty, sawing, palm-muted riffing rams the musical foundation together with the rest of the rhythm section. Guitarists are nimble-fingered fellas, and play in very technical way. This, however, doesn't mean that this is something like a bunch of academy-educated people demonstrating boring study-material, that no one is permitted to have one's own opinion about. Lead guitar work is memorable and reminds of Evergrey's duo Tom Englund and Henrik Danhage, due to mad skills. Generally, every instrument and vocals sound more like enthusiastic and excited than technical by the book.

However, it is Jennifer Borg's vocals, that steal a big part of the show. Her dark-ish and shady voice, with a hint of raspiness here and there, is rather unique. I know I'm gettng boring with my examples here, but it's Evergrey's Mr. Englund who has similar voice. Anyway, Jennifer is pliable with her voice, and it can be fragile or forceful, sweet or feisty. Scale of her voice is simply wide, and this is where Tom Englund is beaten.

Synthesizers work well here; when they blend into sonical scape like one doesn't even mind, notice, them playing, they are right to the point if you ask me. I love synthesizers like I love guitars, bass or drums, so I do not mean that not noticing synths is good, but they just amalgamate into the whole. They become a vital organ. There's piano playing, synth mat, even space synth to be heard.

The lyrical theme of the album is end of a relationship. The musical moods vary from melancholic to positive ones, following the lyrics closely. Pain, regret, healing, embarking on a new journey; every mental state of it. Jennifer Borg's texts are personal and partly very intimate. The song structures aren't serpentine, but still versatile. The song lengths are kept on the both sides of 6 minutes, so these pieces do not cause feeling of bloatedness. Actually DA give a few surprises every now and then, so the music breathes.

Maybe on one album out of... I don't know, a thousand perhaps, has a perfect song. DA have managed in this exceptional task, and offer us 'Sorrow's Sacrifice'. This song is simply flawless. There are other songs, that come close, e.g. hook-laden 'Stronger', epic 'Hideaway', and more curvy 'Dawn Brings no Mercy'. None of the tracks is unnecessary, but everyone of them carry identity and finesse. It's the last piece, which presents a slow, acoustic song.

Swedish label ViciSolum Productions have, naturally, been releasing a lot of Swedish bands' stuff, but lately they've signed with bands from Egypt, USA and Australia. Good to see them broadening their horizons. With Divine Ascension, they've got a true gem in their roster. This band must be investigated by those who like female-fronted progressive power metal, or generally this style. 'Liberator' is an awesome album, which puts out a lot from the start, but still gives a lot more for a long time to come, and for many, many listenings. Not to be missed!!! I'm off to order DA's debut album now, which sounds awesome judging by a few songs that are available for listening on the band's websites. Get discovering!

Rating: 8+ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
03/16/2015 18:30