By Adrien Begrand
Destinity’s music has evolved in a way that only a band that has been given the freedom to develop and find its voice could pull off. Fourteen years after forming and now with seven albums under their belts, the French band has created one of the more intriguing metal hybrids these days, a savvy amalgamation of numerous popular sounds that, for all its eccentricity, never loses its way, the songs delivered with the confidence of seasoned professionals. You’ve got the stylish, synth-enhanced sounds of Dark Tranquillity and Soilwork, the flamboyance of Mercenary, the melodies of Children of Bodom and Darkane, and the extreme metal ferocity of Hypocrisy and even Behemoth all wrapped up in a slick, accessible package that will appeal to any fan of mainstream metal. Yet for some reason, perhaps it’s their rather odd band name, they never get the kind of recognition they deserve.
2008’s Lifeforce debut The Inside, while not exactly setting the metal world ablaze, was nevertheless a very pleasant surprise, and XI Reasons to See continues right where the previous record left off, eleven expertly executed tracks given a good spit and polish by producer Jacob Hansen. Again, the band harnesses all those sounds exceptionally well at times, well-timed dynamics coming into play on such standouts as “Witness”, the ferocious “Just Before…”, and the very oddly titled “Got Smile Sticking”. It all feels so effortlessly done, “Your Demonic Defense” settling nicely into a comfortable Clayman-esque groove before cranking up the blasting, standout “A Dead Silence” making good use of vocalist Mick’s admirable range and boasting the album’s best guitar solo. Only does the clunky ballad “Rule of the Rope” falter, but it’s but a fleeting misstep, as the rest of the album carries on assuredly. It might not be as de rigueur as Deathspell Omega, Gojira, or Hacride, but Destinity definitely deserves to be recognized as one of the stronger bands in this increasingly promising recent wave of French extreme metal. Until then, they remain one of the genre’s true hidden gems.
http://www.myspace.com/destinity
(Lifeforce)
Rating: 7.5
