It would appear that Poland is to Prog as Sweden was to Prog in the 90’s. Ever since the band Riverside was introduced to the Prog world, the flood gates opened and many other band emerges from Poland. One of those bands is Dianoya who take what Riverside had offered and added a more orchestral sound behind it’s metallic assault. Vocally, both bands have a strong vocalist. The vocals on Dianoya are done by Filip Zielinski. For the most part he has a similar sound to Mariusz Duda. I wouldn’t say he’s a clone, rather an extension of what Mariusz has done so far. Filip also provides the keyboards for the band. Joining Filip are Janek Niedzielski & Maciek Papalski “Paco” (Guitars), Lukasz Chmielinski (Drums) and Adam Pierzchala (Bass). I feel that these five names will be recognized are part of the Polish Progressive movement.
I have been listening to Obscurity Divine, the band’s debut, many times. It sometimes echoes in my mind long after the album finishes. For me, this is a good sign for a memorable album with infectious melodies. There’s so much potential for this debut to be among some of the best, especially in 2010.
Starting the album is “Brainwave” (7:50). The band instrumentally and vocally are off to a great start. This song cements in my mind of what’s to come with the rest of the album. “Heartfelt Souvenir” (2:23) is pretty much an introduction for the next song “Dreamlack” (9:44). “Dreamlack has such an atmospheric vibe in both the way Filip sings and the how the band composes the music. It’s also one of the heavier yet melodic songs on the album.
“Severence” (10:46) takes things further as the sound expands in an epic way. It starts off with some spoken word and leads into a metallic assault. This is the longest track on the album. It also has a more metallic sound that the previous tracks. Again there’s that atmospheric sound that flows throughout the song. This is one of my favorites of the album.
“Unsound Counterpart / Delusion Stigma” (6:16) has a mechanical intro that leads in with some melodic guitar. The second section of this suite has a heavy element that keeps up their sound. This would have to be my least favorite of the album. Not that it’s a bad track, just not as memorable to my ears as the others.
“Turbid Mind And Season Madness” (4:34) is the second instrumental track on the album, that bridges the previous track with the next track, “Darkroom” (2:34) which is another instrumental track, this time on a more mellow level based on an acoustic vibe.
Ending off the album is “Sepia” (10:33) it’s the second epic track and starts out in a melodic fashion the previous track offered. It has a sweeping sound that reminds me of an ending to an imaginary film. It has some recap moments throughout the track. There’s some tasty fluid sounding guitar solos too. It also ends the album on a great note, leaving the listener wondering where the band will go next. Perhaps on their sophomore album, they will experiment more and create a sound of their very own.
Yes they sound similar to Riverside and Porcupine Tree to a lessened point but it’s all good. Dianoya is a young band that having a comparison to bands like Riverside or even Porcupine Tree (Deadwing onward), and Tool in the more angular and aggressive moments. This is one of the best albums to have come out during 2010 and hands down I have to highly recommend this as a must have. It’s destined to be a part of my top 40 favorite albums.
Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on August 31st, 2010
