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Treading on Divine > Embrace the Dark > Reviews
Treading on Divine - Embrace the Dark

No Treading Lightly - 85%

BassLord, February 16th, 2021
Written based on this version: 2020, CD, Independent (Limited edition)

I suppose in this day and age you could look at the cover of Treading On Divine’s debut release and it’d be easy to think you had it pegged. But then again what’s that old saying? Anyway I have to admit I felt similarly upon my first scan and upon hearing the opening to “Embrace the Dark” assumed I was in for a fairly routine BM release. An uncomfortable and eerie riff is very quickly joined by aggressive, scathing vocals and subtle keyboards. However there is something apparently different right from the get go; a sense of unique timing and rigid tightness over riffing that is usually less demanding of such. When the track hastily transitions into something more akin to later era Enslaved in its reaching listenability I knew I was in for a unique and refreshing experience.

“Bones to Dust” also opens with deep atmospheric rhythms and a swirling sense of creepy melody. Clean guitars are often juxtaposed with their distorted counterparts to great effect. The track even uses some more symphonic style BM riffs but does so in a way that is tasteful and would be doubtful to offend even the purest of cult metalheads. Speed is certainly a big part of the equation but is never used as a modus operandi. Instead the band finds more success in a varied approach to tempo which makes the burst of speed all the more effective. “Lost” is another excellent example of this with a thunderous nearly tribal metallic opening giving way to searing thrash beats. However once again the band provides a counterpoint with almost slowly played guitar parts over the fast drums, even hinting at some Egyptian references. The track even features a thoughtfully melodic guitar solo, something not used enough in my opinion in this genre.

I think it's the mark of veteran musicians that really makes all the difference on this album. These guys claim to have been playing together for quite some time. Even though this is their first offering they truly sound like they have years of experience and ideas behind them. Not everyone delivers such a professional product on their first try and even the production reeks of class. The mix is nice and even with just a little murk to make things a tad darker. The drums are definitely highlighted, just check out the lumbering tom drums in “The Vault” which manage to carry the groovy main riff.

The band is clearly trying very hard but the album is not without a few faults. Firstly the titles and lyrics seem pretty standard. I guess they aren’t really better or worse than typical BM lyrics but for a group with so many ideas I’d like to see them try and come up with something different. There are a couple riffing sections is some songs that just aren’t up to the standard displayed by much of the material. Not anything that really brings down the vibe but just some parts within a song stick out as being forced when weighed against their surroundings. The keys can be a tad overbearing for me personally at times and when used too heavily with that fast riffing can create the kind of generic fare some bands fill an entire album with. Luckily these faults seem less apparent when the album is taken as a whole.

Another point of good contention is that the album is mostly backloaded, getting a tad stronger along the way until the massive closer “Etched In Stone” chugs and pummels you into the ground with the creative fervor of Cultes Des Ghoules. A fine freshman release from these Philly metallers if you ask me. CD version comes wrapped in a nice four panel digipak but to my eyes the use of the Triptych art seems a tad overdone. I imagine these guys could come up with something really unique in the future but let’s just hope it doesn’t take quite as long to conjure as their debut.