Track Listing

1. Facebreaker
2. The Battle of J. Casey
3. Bringer of Plagues
4. Redefine
5. Anarchaos
6. Monolithic Doomsday Devices
7. Letter To Mother
8. Enemy = Kill
9. Darkness Embedded
10. The End Begins

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40369 in Music
• Released on: 2009-07-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Album Description
The creative force behind the genre-defying, legendary Metal titans Fear Factory, guitarist Dino Cazares, has returned with a mind-blowing, scathing new offering that shatters the boundaries of conventionality with unrelenting intensity, precision and speed. This 2009 offering from Cazares' extreme Metal juggernaut Divine Heresy also features one of the genre's most acclaimed drummers, Tim Yeung (ex-Nile, Vital Remains), bassist Joe Payne (ex-Nile) and newcomer vocalist Travis Neal (ex-The Bereaved, Pushed). This pummeling offering redefines the meaning of aggression and takes extreme to an all new level. This album undeniably ups the ante in terms of brutality, precision and technicality as the group are more focused and tighter than ever before.

Customer Reviews

More Than Expected From Divine Heresy
It's been a hell of a year for Dino Cazares. He and his old friend Burton C. Bell recently became best friends again years after Fear factory was reformed without Dino. Since then, it was a war of words between the former bandmates. Now, FF is back with a new lineup featuring Dino on guitar, plus Gene Hoglan and Byron Stroud from Strapping Young Lad, Zimmers Hole, and Tenet. In the meantime as we wait for this new album, Divine Heresy brought us their second offering Bringer Of Plagues, the vicious followup to their successful debut Bleed The Fifth. Many figured the first album was all they had to offer and nothing else. Well, Bringer Of Plagues is your answer. If Bleed The Fifth was their breakout album, then this is the annihilation that follows. New vocalist Travis Neal makes his presence known as more than just Tommy Vext's replacement, while Dino focuses on his guitar attack with precision and even improves on his guitar solo abilities, Joe Payne steps up his bass playing for his Divine Heresy recording debut after Dino did most of the bass on the first record, and Tim Yeung is faster and way more technical than he's ever been. All in all, if you thought Bleed The Fifth was all Divine Heresy had on the menu, then it's time for you to expand.

Bringer of plagues both delivers and disappoints
So Divine Heresy has finally released their second disk. Short version it both delivers and disappoints. It's kind of like your prom date in high school. You get into the car and get to third base, life is good. You hit the hotel room and get that let down. DH have changed since bleed. They have added death metal journeyman Joe Payne on bass, and have made the controversial vocalist change. Gone is Tommy (call me Vext) Cummings, and added is Travis Neil. Tommy always came across as a Howard Jones clone, with hip hop influence. Travis Neil on the other hand has a sound that harkens to the Swedish slash throats of NWOSDM and swed thrash. On a personal note I've found I prefer Neil, though both have their flaws. The problem with Bringer isn't the vocalist it's the song writing.

Bringer of plagues comes out of the gate possessed. Face breaker is exactly what I want in an opening track. It opens with a faded in riff, wicked guitar and bass arpeggios and lightning fast double bass. It has some great changes and the clean vocals work quite well. It does sport the typical Dino solo (a quick scale and ultra fast alt picking slides). It's a killer opener, and good or bad one of the best on the disk. The battle of J Casey is solid, but as to be found on most of this album its nothing really ear catching. The intro to the title track could have been left off and you would never have missed it. The title track has its moments but still becomes predictable and familiar. The opening blast beat frenzy followed by the triplet/ double kick syncopation, the bridge riff chorus combo, insert clean vocals here. It will bang your head but multiple listens it falls kind of flat. Redefine is the same until the chorus the arrangement with the clean vocals just doesn't groove right. Anarchaos. Can you say sounds too much like Soul Decoded? It's the typical 8 string track and the first 3notes are damn near exact. The next couple of tracks blur together. It just typical triplet induced Dino. A flash here and there but nothing to write about. Darkness embedded is a tune I truly enjoy. It provides the album ballad. Some have cried foul on Travis's cleans here but I honestly love them. It also gives the album a much needed buffer. I might have dropped this at track 5. The album closes with the End begins. It's not a bad track but you have already heard the riffs before in the album and the use of auto tune on Neil's vocals at the end of the track kind of kill it.

This is a Dino and Tim frenzy. The guitars and drums dominate the mix as to be expected. Dino and Tim are without question in fine form. The problem is the songs become mundane and predictable. The overdose of palm muted triplets locked with double kick become the same. It has its moments like the aforementioned prom date but also comes with the same let down. If you wanted this to be the next Demanufacture, its not. If you wanted this to blow the doors off Bleed it won't. What it does give you is some solid tunes insanely fast drum/ guitar interplay, a few cases to snap your neck and some note worthy riffs.The lyrics are well written and there are some very catchy moments.Overall if that's what you are after and go into it with that mindset it's worth it. If not well Soul of a New Machine and Demanufacture still sound pretty damned good.

Ratings

Production. 5/6
Song writing 3/6
Musicianship 5/6

Top Tracks, Face breaker, The Battle of J Casey, Bringer of Plagues, Darkness Embedded

A tidal wave of pounding drums and relentless guitars
I figured Divine Heresy would be a one-album, one-time thing for guitarist Dino Cazares, and to my wonder this band is still kickin'. When their debut Bleed The Fifth came out I considered it to be the best Fear Factory album never made. I was taken aback by how aggressive the drums and guitars were... and still am with their sophomore effort Bringer Of Plagues. I have to say that both albums top Arkaea's Years In The Darkness, which supposedly features songs that were meant to be on a new Fear Factory album. I like both bands, but Divine Heresy is superior in songwriting, and it comes as no surprise that Cazares is allegedly back in with Fear Factory and guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers is out (and doing his Arkaea thing).

Something new with Divine Heresy is singer Travis Neal replacing the fired Tommy Vext. In my opinion Neal isn't as aggressive as Vext but still brings the hammer. The only thing I don't like is his clean vocals in "Darkness Embedded," which are kind of whiny and off key or something. It just doesn't sound right, but overall Neal is a good replacement and his harsh vocals fit in well. While I'm judging - and I hate to downplay something that's good as a whole - the bass isn't very prominent. Bringer Of Plagues is a tidal wave of pounding drums and relentless guitars. I feel like the band tries to play as fast and hard as they can, and that's where the bass becomes lost.

Like Bleed The Fifth, this new material is essentially much of the same, which somehow satisfyingly makes it difficult to pick a favorite. Choose both I must! Tim Yeung is still a monster behind the drum kit. Every song is annihilated with kick drums and ungodly percussion. Dino Cazares' guitar-playing gallops and thrashes like a possessed thoroughbred. Your ear drums will be crushed into a fine powder. This album is one of my favorites of 2009 and while rumors swirl that Cazares is rejoining Fear Factory, I hope Divine Heresy isn't forgotten.