Divinity Bio

“No pleasure endures unseasoned by variety.” – Publius Syrus, 42 B.C., Maxim No. 406

It’s said that given the right conditions, ANYTHING can happen. It’s no wonder that seemingly small coincidences coalesced within a very specific time window at a very specific geographical location in western Canada to give rise to the sonic phenomenon known as DIVINITY.

While singer/guitarist Sean Jenkins was still in high school jamming in a basement with friends in Edmonton, Alberta, his life path crossed with guitarist James Duncan, creating the solid foundation DIVINITY would later come to rest on. Leaving the comforts of their rehearsal space to test their skills in a live setting, the Canadian natives made their on-stage debut by playing live “Battle of the Bands” shows in Calgary. Several years and several line-up changes later, the chemistry created by the addition of drummer Brett Duncan prompted the band to record their five-song Intensify EP. Deciding on a dual guitar approach, Sacha Laskow was recruited into the band’s ranks, and when Nick Foster was enlisted to handle bass duties, DIVINITY had at last found their missing fifth element.

Brought together by serendipity and gifted with the sight to see the necessity of and place for variety, a surging creativity has always fueled these talented, similarly-minded musicians. Armed with his own arsenal of growls, high-pitched screams, and melodic clean vocals, founding DIVINITY member and lead singer Sean Jenkins has successfully overseen the amalgamation of multiple genres: a crushing thrash attitude with complex progressive metal arrangements and brutal death metal overtones. The resulting compositions are devastating. The poise of each song’s shifting time signatures and their unpredictable rhythmic insanities alone will easily qualify DIVINITY’s debut album as one of the more memorable aural assaults of 2008.

Mixed and mastered by the pristine touch of Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Dark Tranquillity, Aborted), showcasing artwork by Mattias Noren (Into Eternity, Evergrey), and featuring guest death & harmony vocals by Greg Muscrave & Jerrod Maxwell, Allegory ’s intricate riffs, plunging grooves, and melodic passages can carry you through the expansive landscape of the soul. Lyrically tackling the themes of substance abuse, the turmoil of relationships, survival in the midst of adversity, the chaos of existence and humanity’s battle against technology, Jenkins explores the parameters of the human voice while capable shredders J. Duncan & Laskow weave their unyielding riffs & solos throughout as the rhythm section of B. Duncan & Foster aptly demonstrates a very feral meticulousness. “Induce,” “Methodic,” and “Modern Prophecy” all exhibit DIVINITY’s dynamic and ferocious range.

A damned-with-talent band sure to please fans of Into Eternity, Strapping Young Lad, and Soilwork, keep DIVINITY on your radar. With a long & healthy future ahead of them, the auditory diversity on DIVINITY’s Allegory makes it a serious contender for one of the most solid debut releases in a mixed genre and will surely propel these musicians out of their native homeland and into the rest of the metal world.