As much as the sounds and intensity of the release are highly agreeable there is a creative savagery to Le Prix du Sang (The Price of Blood) from French metallers Dive Your Head, which simply hits the spot. The debut album from the Sens hailing quintet is brutal and angry; a raging roar upon the senses but equally, though its body has a familiar feel at times, it offers a fury of imagination which sets it apart from most like inflamed offerings.
Formed in 2012, Dive Your Head quickly became a potent and well supported force on the local metal scene, subsequently venturing further across France from 2014 taking in over twenty shows across the country last year alone. Musically they seem to draw on bands such as Slipknot, Of Mice & Men, and Wunjo; at times bruising the senses with their infectious animosity like a brutalising Rise of the Northstar as Le Prix du Sang swiftly and powerfully reveals.
Though lyrically songs are delivered in the band’s mother tongue there is no escaping the fury and emotional ferocity behind them, intensity backed by similarly unleashed sounds as evidenced by opener Les Rois Perdus (The Lost Kings). From its first breath thick grooves and hungry riffs invade ears, an infectiousness shadowing their antagonistic nature as the rhythms of drummer Amaury Pereira take no prisoners. Vocalist Luca Depaul-Michau is soon in the midst of the wall of aggression, venting his heart and raw vocal chords as grooves continue to entangle ears and an already keen appetite for the band’s sound. It is not the most unique proposal yet the track needs little time to grab attention and spark the imagination being quickly and as forcibly backed by Avaritia (Greed). Stalking the senses with a slightly slower gait, the song is a tempest of riffs and heavy grooves cast by guitarists Maxime Schmitt and Mickael Altmeyer and though just a few big breaths over two minutes long, it makes a potent impact to continue the strong start of the album.
Featuring LeXa, Luxuria steps forward next to instantly lay down a nagging riff swiftly joined by a likeminded and darker invitation from the bass of Xavier Mansiot. The track prowls the listener, those early riffs continuing to offer a repetitive lure as Depaul-Michau mixes his raw squalls with cleaner tones. As good as the previous pair of tracks are the third takes the album up another level, Dive Your Head showing greater and more distinct imagination.
Gula equally shows this kind of invention which maybe was not as open at the start of Le Prix du Sang, its scything twists and rapacious turns still mixing with established sounds and hues but providing the imagination with something fresh to chew on before Superbia (Pride) provides arguably the most sonically violent and certainly cancerous assault. Again though, there is a nagging virulence to riffs and grooves aligned to an overall catchiness which infests the senses scything swing of the excellent encounter.
A matching savaging comes through Ira next, its turns from lumbering predation to livelier rancorous trespasses highly enjoyable though the song lacks the same inventive spark of its predecessor at times. Nevertheless it only adds to the appeal of album and a sound which Postmortem elevates as its web of steely melodic tendrils and punishing rhythms entangles great clean vocals alongside the expected throat ripping roars. The kinder delivery works a treat providing a striking contrast which would be good to see the band use in future, its success here reinforced by the same success in closing track Invidia (Envy). Both tracks are as vicious and uncompromising as anything upon the album but show great potential for future explorations from the band. The final song features Kevin Fauvel and Maxim Keller, and a fusion of vocal styles which stir ears as the rest of Dive Your Head go to creative work on the senses with imposing riffs, harsh rhythms, and a compelling unity of craft.
Le Prix du Sang is not likely to be the most unique thing you will hear this year but it provides a great introduction to Dive Your Head which will ensure you will only, like us, want to hear much more.
Le Prix du Sang is available now via most online stores and @ http://www.diveyourhead.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DiveYourHead
Pete RingMaster 02/09/2016
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
The track is a fiery and eventful encounter with a nice line in unpredictability, not a trait which every song exploits as well but when they do as in the following Push Me Away, the imagination cannot help but get involved. The second track swings in on a lure of tenacious rock ‘n roll, calming down again as vocals join the bubbling affair before rising up with energy into an emotive snarl. Great backing roars and keen spirals of sonic endeavour add to the contagious tempting and presence of the song; it as its predecessor offering plenty of textures and twists to be forcibly enticed by.
year the Joey Sturgis (Asking Alexandria, Emmure, Of Mice & Men, We Can As Romans) produced Chosen. Now with that impending EP on a close horizon, the band has set another spark burning in ears and appetite through Almost Human, a song showing even greater persuasion and adventure than that which fuelled its predecessors.
does with a rugged and unpredictable savaging of the senses. The song carries on twisting between charmed melodic temptation and jaundiced belligerence, all driven by violent creativity. It is enthralling and pleases with ease if again not quite finding that final spark to ignite the passions.
