Italian death metal bands have shown their expertise in the field of technicality and brutality. The modern wave of death metal bands from this country have spectacular ways of displaying the force of violence. This year only four of the biggest Italian technical death metal bands released their new outputs. Bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse, Demiurgon, Hour of Penance and Hideous Divinity which has become such a reckoning outfit in the category of the modern death metal bands in Europe. The fourth album’Simulacrum‘ is driven by an energetic enthusiasm from the Italian quintet. There is a huge intensity build on the new tracks which provides velocity and dynamics in the songwriting.

Musically the new Hideous Divinity album navigates through a new level of technicality while exploring its skills. The effort is seemingly approached by austerity and new boundaries, in other words ‘Simulacrum’ is one hell of a brutal death metal album. The balance between different elements makes every track so accessible and enjoyable. The modern and extreme composition on the opening track ‘Deleuzean Centuries‘ will instantly grab the listener for its heavy and brutal elements of technical death metal ferocity. 

The album presents an amp full of breakneck speed, power and tempo, which sets a new formulaic sound. In this case Hideous Divinity has succeeded in arranging a functional dynamic to the album. With fast driven riffs and hyper blast beats the second track ‘Embalmer‘ is launched at insane velocity. While the strength of each track relies on the powerful drumming and the acceleration of energy. The guitars display a sonic barrage of heavy riffs and machine gun like drumming. Apart from the beautiful and the artistic video clip the song structure is based on various elements which makes ‘Embalmer‘ so catchy and pleasing. It’s no doubt that band has infused some elements from black metal, the sense of turning the sonic brutality into a hideous art is remarkably achieved here. 

The musical context is filled with impressive riffs giving them more superiority even without using the symphonies and the orchestral arrangements. The album does not lack the pompous feel, therefore the fourth studio album has that kind of high stately performance. Yet there are plenty of moments when the band intends to sound slow before they progress to build something massive. What puzzled me the most is the wide combination of dissonance that continued to show variation in terms of riffs.

The consequence of such hybridization is quite horrid and sinister, Hideous Divinity maintains a constant focus on blast beats. The change in pace also occurs on ‘Anamorphia Atto III’ when the guitar solos are fired. The drums strike at full force blasting the ear drums while the guitar riffs absolutely shatter the ground beneath your feet. The current achievement by the Italian technical death squad is measured by this colossal bombardment. Almost the entirety of the album is executed at full blast of sharp riffs, while there are some moments when the pace slows down, the band prepares to unleash a ballistic motion of fury.

It’s on the fifth track ‘The Deaden Room‘ where Hideous Divinity bursts forth like lava, showing extreme brutality while the savage and traumatizing growls wreak havoc. ‘Actaeon’ reveals a sheer austerity and extraordinary cruelty, the pulverizing mechanism has no end to halt. In every erupting pace the solos are executed as a result of the sonic climax. This track is one of the highlights on the album which features a rhythmic tempo. Hideous Divinity has always remained loyal to the modern sound of technical death metal. Alongside their solid expertise and proficiency, they share many aspects with the other Italian technical death metal bands.

‘Seed of Future Horror‘ is another brutal onslaught full of tremolo pickings, the high pitched growls give the track a blackened sound. This indicates the capability of the band to alter from the tremolo technique to dissonance. The haunting yet majestic opening of ‘Prey to a Vision‘ is a showcase in extremity that combines fast blistering riffs. ‘Simulacrum‘ gradually increases in heaviness. Therefore, the album in its entirety is exercised through brutality.

The latest effort is built upon a large variety of proportions, this isn’t a blunt album of mere blast beats. ‘Simulacrum‘ is much more than that: the final track ‘Implemini Exitio‘ demonstrates the musical capabilities of Hideous Divinity. ‘Simulacrum‘ is a mind-blowing work of art and it’s one of the best technical death metal albums which I have experienced in a very long time. FFO Nile, Suffocation, and Hour of Penance.

Release Date: November 8th, 2019
Label: Century Media Records
Track list:

1. Deleuzean Centuries
2. The Embalmer
3. Condense
4. Anamorphia Atto iii
5. The Deaden Room
6. Actaeon
7. Bent Until Fracture
8. Seed of Future Horror
9. Prey to a Vision
10. Implemini Exitio
11. Blood of the Zodiac (Machine Head cover)
12. Cursed in Eternity (Mayhem cover)