Chaos Divine
Avalon
Firestarter



'Avalon' is the debut full-length album from Chaos Divine, a young modern melodic metal band from Perth who cite a range of influences including Opeth, Soilwork, Katatonia, Meshuggah and Dream Theater. All of these influences can be detected throughout 'Avalon' but at no time do Chaos Divine fall into the trap of trying to cram too much in. This is still a reasonably diverse album but it is also concise and remarkably self-assured.

The listener's attention is grabbed immediately by an impressive opening trio of songs. Contortion, Our Delusion and Refuse The Sickness are all suitably brutal while displaying some nifty and technical guitar work and great hooks. Then follows the more reflective title track on which the Katatonia influences come to the fore. The slower and moodier Cages, which reminds me of Type O Negative circa 'October Rust', brings the excellent first half of the album to a close.

The second half opens with the rather nondescript Brand New Eyes, but just when you think the momentum is slowing along comes the seven-minute epic The Carnal Thirst on which Chaos Divine dive headlong into the realms of progressive metal. Recalling both Tool and Opeth, they pull it off brilliantly. Rapture and Narcosis maintain the standard and bringing the album to a fitting close is the brooding and melancholy lament Alone In The Sky.

The past year or so has seen the emergence of a number of excellent Australian bands who fall within the broad modern melodic metal genre. The music being produced by the likes of Chaos Divine, Noctis and Adelaide's own Universum is every bit as good as that coming from Europe and America, and I would suggest it is played with greater passion, conviction and innovation than their more celebrated peers overseas. 'Avalon' is yet another fine example of Australian metal and is highly recommended.

James McKenzie