Inner Self

Upon first listen to this Norwegian progressive metal outfit, hopes are high. Divided Multitude has a wonderfully technical approach to their music, especially in the guitar department. Their songwriting is similar in approach to Dream Theater, except much more metallic and heavy, which is not to say that the band lacks a quiet, introspective side either. After a few more listens, nausea sets in, due to the over-pretentious style of singing and robotic compositional song structures. The music and vocals come off sounding emotionless and cheesy, something that masters of the genre like the aforementioned Dream Theater and later acts like Symphony X have cautiously avoided. However, these guys weld their instruments with honor and dignity, which says a lot for the future of the band. Lyrically, the band causes mixed feelings because at times they come across as being very intelligent, while other times they sound like they are trying to create an updated version of Warrant's "Heaven," or something else as equally sinister. Don't misunderstand, this is not terrible, but it is not a fantastic release either. The band demonstrates their full potential at times. They need to work on their song-crafting skills, and maybe give vocalist/guitarist Sindre Antonsen a break from vocals, so he can concentrate on his monumental guitar attack, and find a more convincing vocalist. Progressive metal fans, especially die-hard Dream Theater folks, should take notice because Divided Multitude is one of the best bands in this shrinking genre.