IRIS DIVINE – Karma Sown (2015)
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Virginia-based US progressive metal trio IRIS DIVINE have been together for more than fifteen years but only released and EP and a full CD that I never listened. Now the band are presenting a new album entitled “Karma Sown“, and when you hear them you’re simply stunned that they’re not signed to a major label and making a huge impact on the scene.
They’re immensely talented, not content to stay within the genre lines, and have released an album that can go head to head with any of the ‘name’ prog metal albums this year.
After the first track “The Everlasting Sea” ends to spin, you take notice: these dudes are talented and creative musicians. They weld their instruments like craftsman drawing out rhythms, tones and arrangements that immediately suggest your interest.
Iris Divine’s musicianship is pretty technical – that much at least is a requirement in this genre – but not in a way that breaks up the flow of the songs or the intense and emotional atmosphere this album has. They do cut loose on the instrumental “In Spirals” though, and that one will have jaws dropping.
Navid Rashid’s riffs are abundant being chunky, sharp and moderately d-tuned. His leads, when found, are conjured more from intricacy and subtlety than trying to be some virtuoso. His chord structure and progression seem much more important.
His vocals are also moderate, singing clean for the most part, at places similar to Russell Allen although in different musical concept. Both underneath and swelling around the guitar, the rhythm section offers both groove and intrigue.
Drummer Kris Combs seems to have an easy style, both leading the pace but offering moments of flair. Brian Dobbs’s bass playing is sturdy and heavy, but there a times he sounds really flexible and spacey, like within the latter third of “A Suicide Divine” or “In Spirals”.
Thanks to their sense of melody, groove, accessibility or complexity of their progressive metal, Iris Divine keeps you interested all the time. Most songs pull you right in and simply ask you to listen, contemplate, and hang the hell on.
I’ll admit I favored the songs were the melody was more prominent or catchy as with “Fire of the Unknown” or “A Suicide Aware”. Other songs, like “Apathy Rains” and “Prisms”, where the heaviness stomps on the melody, not so much. But they’re still intriguing tunes.
“Karma Sown” is a very cohesive overall experience that works best taken as a whole, preferably when you can listen to it without distractions and really take everything in.
With luck, “Karma Sown” will be the album that brings Iris Divine to the attention of the larger progressive metal audience (and perhaps the right people at InsideOut or a similar label).
It’s one of the most striking and entertaining albums from the genre I heard recently, carefully honed by these three talented musicians.
Very Recommended.
01 – The Everlasting Sea
02 – Fire of the Unknown
03 – A Suicide Aware
04 – Mother’s Prayer
05 – Prisms
06 – In Spirals
07 – Apathy Rains
08 – In the Wake of Martyrs
Navid Rashid (Vocals, Guitars)
Brian Dobbs (Bass)
Kris Combs (Drums, Keyboards, Programming)
BUY IT !
www.nuclearblast.de/en/products/tontraeger/cd/cd-digi/iris-divin-karma-sown.html
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