Artist: Dark Divination
Country: Finland
Label: Signal Rex
Formats: CD EP
Year: 2025
You just gotta love the thrill of finding new acts based on members of bands you like. Despite being formed in 2022, I was unaware of Dark Divination and its prior releases until I stumbled upon Kerzenlicht. But while Dark Divinator shares the load with Kratti member Haarniska in the latter band, Dark Divination is rather his solo affair. And with the ‘Unforgotten’ EP, the first release on the Portuguese label Signal Rex is now a reality.
There are certainly some comparison to be made when listening to ‘Unforgotten’ and Kerzenlicht’s ‘Demo I’. These mostly lie in the focus on the high pitched tremolo melodies that dictate most of the song, as well as the rawness of the recordings. But at the same time, Dark Divination is sets itself apart from Kerzenlicht. Arguably, the riffs are a bit more lead-like and meandering, drawing its core closer to Heavy Metal while adding more melody and Pagan spirit to the music. There’s a slightly stronger emphasis on atmosphere, most obvious is the EP’s Dungeon Synth outro ‘To the Ashes’. And Dark Divinator’s vocals are also quite different, sporting a throatier style that is somewhat closer to Spellgoth of Horna. In a song like ‘Kuoleman Takaa’, the musical influence of Horna cannot be fully denied either, although like Kerzenlicht, Satanic Warmaster and French Black Metal seems to have been at least an equal source of inspiration on the material on this EP.
The pillar that Kerzenlicht and Dark Divination have in common is quality though. The melodies are excellent, the atmosphere ice cold, the pace thrusting and the vocals at times deranged. And while taking familiar elements, you never get the sense that you’re listening to a formula that has been rehashed a thousand times. The attention to the melody and the addition of a touch of bombast and atmosphere, combined with the utmost conviction, makes this a delightful EP. Fans of Finnish Black Metal, rejoice!
