Division
1.1 - Submission (song review) |self-released, With A Vengeance,
2012| 5/5
Division
1.1 is a New Jersey based metal band of Rob Middleton (lead vocals),
Steve Ratchen (7 & 14 string bass guitar, keyboards/synthesizers,
lead and backing vocals), John Barone (guitars, backing vocals) and
Brian Brennan (drums/percussion, backing vocals). Since the
musicians' personal inspirations cover a broad range older and newer
influences such as Black Sabbath, Rush, Ronnie James Dio, Megadeth,
Metallica, Slayer, Dream Theater, Tool, Pantera and Disturbed, the
music of Division 1.1 may be seen as an amalgam of the main elements
introduced by these bands.
"Submission"
is the fourth track from the With A Vengeance EP. The
arrangement is mainly based on guitars, bass and vocals, though there
are also pretty non-invasive synths in the background. All of these
usually play in unison, but there are also parts where individual
instruments have their top moments. The drum parts are my only
concern - if their sound had been amplified a bit more (possibly
during mastering), the track would have gotten an additional power
kick and turned out much more epic (as for instance it happens in
"Valley of The Kings" by Blue Murder). Other than that,
they were performed and fit into the track very well.
The
song is an excellent piece of collaborative music. It includes
progressive, hard rock and neo-classical instrumentation enriched
with interesting prog vocals, an almost 'aerodynamic' set of time
signature changes and a rocking rhythm. It's easy to notice that the
quartet must have spent years on honing their musical skills and
gaining the necessary experience as a band. For instance, the
left-handed bassist (using right-handed 7 string basses upside down)
contributed to bands such as Alchemy-X and Vyndykator but also
Wizards of Winter, the latter inspired by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
In
"Submission", the verses smoothly interlace with memorable
and rhythmic choruses. The song’s lyrics are referring to religion
- no wonder, as it has been occupying way too much space in areas
that should have remained secular, adjusting to ordinary life
requirements instead. Quite the contrary - religions lock on
vulnerable minds, bring a lot of fuss, unnecessary bloody wars and
terrorism instead of any wisdom. The song calls for resisting such
submission and urges the listener to remain an independent, showing
free will and making one’s own decisions. The chorus repeats:
"Organized religion, Is just a means to hate, Anyone who's
different, 'Repeat after me', they said. Organized division, A holy
means to hate, Anyone who questions, The Sleeper will awake in
submission".
"Submission"
is a highly recommendable track with the potential of becoming a hit.
In addition, the song as well as the entire EP were produced by Mike
Romeo - the guitar player and founder of US progressive metal band
Symphony X. If you're lucky enough, you may get to listen to it not
only on the With A Vengeance EP, but also live. Thanks to its
compositional momentum, "Submission" sounds like a great
song to be performed on a big stage in front of thousands of
listeners.
(Katarzyna
'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, June 5th, 2013.
Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)
This
review on Fabryka Magazine:
http://industrialrock.net/php-files_en/articles.php?article_id=484
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Reviewed by Fabryka Music Magazine