ALBUM REVIEW: Pale Divine, "Consequence of Time"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 19/06/2020

Label: Cruz Del Sur Music

“Consequence of Time” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Tyrants & Pawns (Easy Prey)
02. Satan In Starlight
03. Shadows Own
04. Broken Martyr
05. Phantasmagoria
06. Consequence Of Time
07. No Escape
08. Saints Of Fire

The Review:

Pale Divine are back with an extra dimension to their sound, courtesy of Dana Ortt, ex Beelzefuzz. Ortt shares vocals with Greg Diener to excellent effect here. Following up their self titled record from 2019 is no mean feat- that album was/is superb and is still on regular rotation for me on both my turntable and my headphones.

Well, all the praise I heaped upon that record would just as well serve “Consequence of Time”- it is again a loose limbed beast that takes a lot of the best bits of the doom metal/rock genre and then melds it into songs of high quality- tasteful, subtle and weighty at the same time. For a band with so much time and so many quality releases under their belt, Pale Divine have managed to get lightning to strike twice here. To make two great albums in quick succession is rare indeed in this day and age.

Sonically, it's great too. Lovely guitar tones, live and tight drums and audible well mixed bass courtesy of the Celtic-heritage rhythm section of McCloskey and McGinnis...  Eight tracks with a fair amount of variety- there is some Nick Cave as there some is Sabbath here (Phantasmagoria), it's a taut release with the quality control high throughout.

“Tyrants & Pawns” is as good an opener as you will hear and if you were to check that out and the next track, “Satan in Starlight”, you would have a good idea of the flavour of the album and will have probably made up your mind about it. Much like their last record, there is nothing I can criticise here and nothing I dislike. Pale Divine are one of the best bands in the genre and it is so pleasing to see this Pennsylvania outfit going from strength to strength. The title track is a riffing delight that breaks the ten minute mark, rightly recognising that youth is wasted on the young- it takes in a fair few dynamic shifts and musical passages echoing life's ebb and flow. It's fantastic.

The album also closes out strongly with the pacey “No Escape” clipping by at a NWOBHM-esque gallop and then bringing the tour de force that is “Saints of Fire” to finish. The vocals there are sublime and it feels like a culmination the band were aiming for and the record deserves.

It's another excellent Pale Divine record and one that paradoxically expands and focuses their sound at the same time. If the band can keep this momentum going who knows how good the next album will be? Even if they can't, no matter: they've made back to back firecrackers. “Consequence of Time” is a great album and one that deserves to be heard by all doom/stoner fans and, indeed,  fans of  all heavy music this year. A wonderful and striking record.

“Consequence of Time” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook