Evil Or Divine is the latest offering from Sideburn and although it’s a little difficult to connect with at times, it is still an all-round good listen.
The album gets off to a little bit of a slow start, with first track Masters And Slaves not being the most gripping of openers for the album. The pace is a little murky and misguided, and the instrumentation is a little repetitive but despite this, it is still worth sticking with Evil Or Divine because it does pick up after a little while, and fourth track The Seer (Angel Of Death) is where things get really interesting. With a crushing heaviness to the instrumentation as the track gets off to a thundering start, the vocals add a nice bit of melody to the song and flows well against the music as the song progresses, guiding the listener through each twist and turn of it all, and it is certainly one of the more powerful tracks of the album.
Bringing things to a close with Presence, which is perhaps the most melodic track of the album due to the largely acoustic approach, it ends Evil Or Divine on a triumphant high and brings it to a satisfying close.
As a whole, Evil Or Divine is a largely good album and although it does have its flaws, it is still a worthwhile listen and certainly is something that deserves a closer look.
6/10
