Despite being a few weeks into 2015, the late 2014 releases are still rolling in. And while the fourth album from the Czech Republic’s Destroying Divinity (yes , the Monstrosity song), isn’t a game changer, and probably would not have adorned many 2014 year end lists, it is a very good death metal album that continues the band’s excellent Immolation worship.

It’s been 4 years since Dark Future, but little has changed. The line up has been present for all four albums and it shows in the band’s consistency. The no nonsense 33 minutes and 8 concise, no frills songs all deliver muddy, atonal, churning riffs and deep growls that will make any death metal aficionado smile (or grimace).

The production seems a little fuller and bigger than Dark Future, with the vocals a bit more up front, even if they are strictly monotone ( with a few high pitched screams arise here and there). There’s ample amount of pinch harmonic blasting, plenty of instantly recognizable backward styled Immolation riffage, (“Burning Divine Domination”) a few echo-y spacey Morbid Angel style solos (“Defleshed Skeleton”), and my favorites, some nice slower grinds as heard on “Suffering Redemption” or kickass march of “Sinful Omens”. And as you can tell by the song titles, this is pure old school fire and brimstone stuff, nothing progressive or experimental here.

All that being said, the debut from country and label mates Heaving Earth might just bump Destroying Divinity off the pedestal of the Czech Republic’s top Immolation clone, but 1B isn’t bad at all.

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