Divine Ascension | As The Truth Appears

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by Joe Mis
Staff Writer

The old cliché “Thunder From Down Under” has been used and misused many times, but applying it to Australia’s Divine Ascension is appropriate. As The Truth Appears is the dynamic debut from the Aussie group and is a thunderous mix of progressive metal, power metal and orchestral metal delivered with conviction and enthusiasm.

Fronted by the powerful voice of the theatrically trained Jennifer Borg, Divine Ascension pulls no punches and delivers a strong and vital mix of metal. The album is well engineered and brings out the best of not only the lead vocals, but also the backings vocals and instruments. Well crafted songs dealing with the nature of good and evil are DA’s trademark – and the fine lyrics are backed up by tight and spirited performances. The guitar duo of Karl Szulik and Robert Inglis is impressive, and they play off of each other very well. Both are fine lead and rhythm players and capable of dealing with the most complex of riffs. David Van Pelt is a great keyboard player and complements the guitars well without dominating the sound. Simon Mahoney (bass) and Luke Wenczel (drums) are a solid rhythm section whether dishing out subtle and complex patterns or galloping on at breakneck speeds.

“Answers” kicks the album off on a high note, and is filled with great vocal performances and great guitar work. This intense track has all the requisite tempo changes and keyboard riffs of progressive metal, along with a big double bass drum line and some classical influences. Blistering guitar riffs and a great rhythm line make “The Visionary” a great prog metal track. “In My Mind” is built around Borg’s voice and Wenczel’s drums. “Vision Divine” is the band’s showpiece, rich in orchestral elements and easily the best track on the release. “Guided By Osiris” brings a bit of Middle Eastern flair, more prominent keyboards and very hot solos to the fore.

An epic opening passage gets the angry and energetic “One Last Caress” off to a rollicking start. This is a musically complex and multi-layered track – technical and fascinating. Impressive bass and a slick vocal line highlight “Garden Of Evil,” while a very progressive rhythm line drives “Another Battlefield.” The latter track allows Borg to explore the higher ranges of her voice, and the band seems to have a good deal of fun playing. The moody “Civilization” features an aggressive and choppy rhythm line that contrasts nicely with slower vocal track and low key piano. The album wraps strongly with a very proggy and orchestral “Unscathed.”

As The Truth Appears is a fine debut. Unlike many other female-fronted metal acts, Divine Ascension doesn’t use Jennifer Borg as a gimmick. Her talent is obvious, as is the talent of the balance of the group. She is an integral part of the band – far more than a crutch. There is nothing simple about DA’s music – every track is rich with complex melodies and contrasting tempos in layer upon layer of music and voices. Even though there is nothing truly revolutionary or groundbreaking here, Divine Ascension has put out one of the better releases of 2011 – a fine debut that will leave the listener looking forward to the next.

As The Truth Appears should appeal to fans of power metal, progressive metal, orchestral metal or female-fronted metal. Divine Ascension is definitely a band to watch. Highly recommended.

Genre: Progressive Metal

Band:
Jennifer Borg – Vocals
Karl Szulik – Guitars
Robert Inglis – Guitars
David Van Pelt – Keyboards
Simon Mahoney – Bass
Luke Wenczel – Drums

Track Listing:
1. Answers
2. Visionary
3. In My Mind
4. Vision Divine
5. Guided By Osiris
6. One Last Caress
7. Garden of Evil
8. Another Battlefield
9. Civilization
10. Unscathed

Label: Nightmare Records

Website: http://www.divine-ascension.com/

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10