| Score 79% | |
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Summary
A venomous album of Industrial Thrash and Death Metal with progressive influences, crafted by a talented Czech horde blending the past, present and future of extreme music. |
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| : 4.9 (1 votes) | |
Formed in 2012 in Prague, the stunning capital of Czechia (or Czech Republic, if your prefer), as a one-man project by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Dan Friml, former member of Sebastian, Apostasy and many more metal and non-metal projects and bands, Industrial Death/Thrash Metal entity Mean Messiah is unleashing upon humanity their sophomore full-length opus entitled Divine Technology, the follow-up to their 2013 debut album Hell and their 2016 EP Let Us Pray. Currently comprised of the aforementioned Dan Friml on vocals, guitars and keyboards, David Gabriel on bass and Jiří Willander on drums, the music by Mean Messiah can be described as a mixture of Industrial Thrash and Death Metal with progressive influences, with Divine Technology, an album written, recorded, mixed and produced by Dan himself at The Barn Studios, marking a natural step forward for the band.
A sinister intro led by cryptic piano notes ignite the opening track Interment of Ashes/Hello Again!, sounding cinematic and grim with Jiří revving up the band’s infernal engine with his powerful beats while Dan blasts his riffs with tons of precision. Put differently, it’s Industrial Metal infused with progressiveness and futuristic elements where Dan’s enraged roars bring an extra dosage of heaviness to the overall result. Then it’s time to go absolutely berserk with the title-track Divine Technology without forgetting the band’s traditional harmony and ethereal vibe, with Dan and David being unstoppable with their stringed weapons while Jiří sounds like a stone crusher on drums. In addition, the song’s last part leans towards the austere and vibrant sound the mighty Fear Factory simply love crafting, which obviously translates into awesomeness; and they keep hammering our heads with their vicious Industrial Thrash Metal in The Beast, where Dan is bestial with his frantic riffs supported by Jiří’s demented drumming and David’s classy bass jabs, not to mention all background keys adding a modern and epic touch to such pulverizing tune.
In Blood of Sirens/The Call, a Metallica/Megadeth-inspired start morphs into a brutal display of industrialized sounds and noises, filling every single space in the air while its second half once again brings serenity and hope to our hearts, with Dan leading his horde with his soulful and dark guitar solos while Jiří keeps the rhythm somber and heavy. In Thorn we’re treated to more violence in the form of the band’s crisp Industrial Metal, with its backing vocals providing a beautiful support to Dan’s wicked screams, sounding very melodic, piercing, full of breaks and variations and, therefore, keeping the album at a high level of electricity; whereas We Shout is a rebellious metal anthem by Mean Messiah showcasing their characteristic metallic riffs and unstoppable beats, with David’s bass sounding menacing and thunderous while Dan continues to lead his henchmen by growling and roaring the song’s insurgent lyrics. And closing the album we have Za Světlem (or “beyond the light” in English), where another creepy, phantasmagorical intro evolves into sheer darkness flowing from all instruments while Dan’s obscure gnarls penetrate deep inside your mind. Not only that, the fact that he sings the entire song in his mother tongue Czech makes it even more demonic, all spiced up by the song’s grandiose and vile ending.
In a nutshell, if Industrial Metal with a heavier and more obscure twist is your cup of tea, Dan, David and Jiří are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram armed with their excellent new opus Divine Technology, an album with a controversial, austere and infernally true cover art and available for purchase from their own webstore and BandCamp page (as well as from Slovak Metal Army’s webstore and BandCamp page), ready to invade your senses with their undisputed hybrid of modern-day Industrial Metal and more venomous and aggressive sounds. After listening to such entertaining album of metal music, I would say Divine Technology is more than “just” the next natural step in Mean Messiah’s career, but an amazing choice for anyone who’s searching for an album that beautifully blends the past, present and future of extreme music.
Best moments of the album: Divine Technology, The Beast and We Shout.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released May 5th, 2020 by Slovak Metal Army
Track listing
1. Interment of Ashes/Hello Again! 8:57
2. Divine Technology 4:22
3. The Beast 3:30
4. Blood of Sirens/The Call 8:30
5. Thorn 4:28
6. We Shout 3:15
7. Za Světlem 6:35
Band members
Dan Friml – vocals, guitars, keyboards
David Gabriel – bass
Jiří Willander – drums
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