Divercia
Cycle Of Zero

Ahahahahaha... excuse me, I know that starting a review with a laugh isn't the height of courtesy towards the artist and maybe doesn't even denote great intelligence, but forgive me, I can't help but laugh at the listening of this thing.

The atrocity we will discuss in this review is called "Cycle Of Zero," the latest work by the Finnish group Divercia, which is formed by the former progsters Lost In Twilight, who delighted our ears nine years ago with the instrumental album "Descending Mist" and truly made us hopeful.

After changing their moniker in 2002 and filling the void of a vocalist suitable for their musical style, these young musicians decided to change musical direction, offering us a plastic and fake death metal from the first to the last note, additionally stuffed with power elements (is anyone already thinking of Children of Bodom?) and some pseudo-progressive hints, randomly thrown into the compositions just to not completely deny their past.

After the decent second debut album of 2002 entitled "Modus Operandi," these jovial fellows reappeared in 2004 with the product that is the focus of this writing, demonstrating that they have lost all those positive qualities that had previously made me appreciate them. Instead, they launch into a festival of clichés, with constant allusions to Alexi Lahio's band with truly terrible results, as can be admired in the opener "Of Steel and Man" or in "Cycle Of Zero"; when attempting to go beyond mere plagiarism they fall into equally pathetic attempts to combine powerful musical bases with vocal lines à la H.I.M. or something like that.

Very little to save, then, the best moments come when Divercia return to tread closer to the emotionally rich territory of Lost In Twilight's progressive metal period, as in "Start At The End," which, while not presenting elements that can particularly attract attention, turns out to be quite enjoyable.

Regarding the monotony to which one is subjected, I would not waste further words, instead sparing a few for the good instrumental performance of the band, which demonstrates possession of considerable capabilities from an execution standpoint. Hoping that they will manage to use these capabilities more profitably in the future, I am left with no choice but to strongly advise against a product that lacks the necessary groove or originality to be considered even barely sufficient.

Tracklist:

1)Of Steel And Man

2)Iron hearted Glass

3)Overwhelming

4)Cycle Of Zero

5)Underground

6)7.62

7)2nd Ghost

8)Start At The End

9)God For End