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Band: Near Earth Orbit
Album title: Divine Inferno
Release date: 24 October 2024
Label: Solar Lodge
Genre: Apocalyptic Rock, Gothic Rock, Noise, Ambient
Tracklist:
01 Luciferion Regis
02 Black Rain
03 Psyquinox
04 Bitter Moon
05 The Invincibles
06 Hypnoise
07 Biogenic Metaliths
08 Hades III
While some predict the approaching apocalypse, others are already far ahead - telling us from the future what happens after the world as we know it sees the destruction. The German band, which recently became a duo of two members of the gothic rock band Merciful Nuns, Artaud Seth and Jawa Seth (Ashley Dayour left the project some time ago), with its ninth studio album continues the message Near Earth Orbit began sending in 2015 with its debut album End Of All Existence; the message that came from the future, to be precise, from 16 March 2034.
Divine Inferno is about androids resisting their original mission of relocating humanity to planet Kepler 186F, now called "Luciferion Regis". Here, they encounter the Invincibles, a species that has evolved over aeons through a unique necro-evolution of organic metals and plant structures. These creatures do not allow settlement on their planet, so the mission gets abandoned. In a catastrophic battle, a divine hell, the settlers and the Invincibles face each other. The Invincibles adamantly resist human colonization, knowing that humans will only bring ruin and devastation.
So much for the theme of the album... Those of you who have already faced the impactful apocalyptic force of the music brought by the band Near Earth Orbit (also known as N.E.O.) know what to expect. The musical style has not changed significantly, but each new album brings its own dark, apocalyptic atmosphere. Divine Inferno is a very powerful album, at some points almost brutal, that demolishes everything in front of it - and I'm not talking about some death metal or grind core, not even "war" metal, crust or something similar. The music by Near Earth Orbit is a mixture of genres, from apocalyptic rock, noise, gothic rock, dark ambient, industrial, and cinematic doom, which, when I reviewed its debut album, described as "apocalyptic atmospheric doom goth wave".
Divine Inferno consists of eight tracks that are hard to digest at first listen. After a few listens, however, a magical mystique takes over you, and Near Earth Orbit - with its powerful dark artistry - captivates the devoted listener. Slow-slicing morbid guitar riffs, dark atmospheric synths and deep rumbling bass create a kind of melody that, together with the narrative nature of the album itself and occasional ambient touches, creates a timeless cinematic yet adventurous experience. Several different vocals also add to the experience - from the screaming hoarse, Artaud's gothic deep voice to the android voices, all the way to soft clean vocals, speeches, and choral singing.
After an incredibly punchy-"in-your-face thrown"-start with "Luciferion Regis", the hypnotic "Black Rain", and the dramatic "Psyquinox", things turn almost tender when the melancholic tale "Bitter Moon" begins. Guitar rock massacre combined with choral singing and reverb bass spoils all seasoned listeners in the incredible, almost epic treat "The Invincibles", while "Hypnoise", riddled with slightly retro 80s synthesizers and a psychedelic sci-fi industrial beat, prepares us for the conclusion that begins with the mighty epic sludge/doomer "Biogenic Metaliths" and ends with the ambiental "Hades III", which I assume is meant as some dialogue between a dying android, Invincible and a human.
Divine Inferno is like a good dark epic sci-fi movie. Near Earth Orbit's music has the effect of constantly creating images in our heads. And, if we completely immerse ourselves in this picturesque musical soundscape, we will be able to witness in our minds what is happening on the planet Kepler 186F, the battle between the androids, invincibles and humans. Artaud Seth and Jawa Seth have given us an intense sonic masterpiece that tends to become a cult classic, just like their previous creations. Fans of Near Earth Orbit's earlier work will be rewarded with another top-notch sonic apocalypse, while to those who encounter N.E.O. for the first time, I recommend patience because this album is rewarding - one of the best albums of 2024. For a long time, there hasn't been an apocalyptic soundscape as powerful and effective as it is Divine Inferno.
Review by Tomaz
Rating: 9/10
