We are excited this month to feature Divination is one of our favorite American Death Metal bands. This article has been some time in the making as we have been eagerly awaiting the bands recording sessions of the new album. Now those of you that read our columns know that there is only one way I do metal and that is in your face and hard. Divination serves this dish and then some coming right at you with a brute force that leaves nothing on the table.

 As we mentioned above the band has just finished recording a new record which is set to be there best work to date. The songs have a great mix of traditional Death Metal  and Thrash, with a hint of symphonic guitars and a wide range of  wicked vocals. This group that has been around since 1994 is set to take the world with a blasting metal storm, and we here at the Twisted Hillbilly are proud to feature them in this issue. Fire up the speakers and turn up your horns and check out "Nightmarathon" on the twisted player!

Moe Hillbilly

Links

 http://www.myspace.com/divinationmetal

www.divinationmetal.com

BIOGRAPHY

Divination was formed in 1994 in Reading, PA. Divination was originally conceived as a death metal band influenced by early Death Metal acts such as Deicide, Suffocation, and Malevolent Creation, but massive turnover and lineup changes eventually introduced unexpected influences from outside the strict Death Metal confines. The most recent guitar duo brought with them an arsenal of riffing ranging from more diverse styles including hardcore, thrash and progressive metal. Breaking out of their own self-imposed mold allowed them trim the fat from the “cookie cutter” death metal traditions. While keeping the speed and brutality of death metal, Divination was free to explore such things as melodic phrasing as well as sprinkles of hardcore breakdowns and black metal ferocity.

1999 saw the release of the self-produced Obsessed EP which met with limited local success and paved the way for opening spots with acts such as Pro Pain and Six Feet Under. Appearing on the Gimme the Medicine compilation CD and constantly pummeling audiences in the local club scene eventually attracted the attention of fledgling label DRP Records who signed the band in 2003. The new relationship provided the means to record and release the band’s first full length album, Three Nails of Fate, later in the same year. DRP Records later developed a relationship with Sky Records and inked a deal to include two tracks from Three Nails of Fate on From the Shadows...Metal for the Modern Era featuring Anthrax, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Mastodon. Since the release of Three Nails of Fate, Divination has shared the stage with a throng of national acts including the likes of Black Dahlia Murder, Cannibal Corpse, God Forbid, Into Eternity, and most recently the legendary Exodus.

Applying the lessons learned from the previous releases, and having a fresh vocal perspective provided a rebirth for the band allowing them to approach songwriting open to any and all ideas. The new material represented a risk for the band, unsure if their core fan base would embrace the new direction. Performing the new songs live before they were recorded proved that the risk was worth taking. Fans and peers alike expressed resounding enthusiasm for the band pushing themselves to the next level which fueled the band’s ambition to record The Age of Man. The freedom this album provides exposes the mere tip of the iceberg of what Divination has in store for their fans and future fans.