A few days ago I found out that I had Bell's Palsy - the muscles that control the right side of my face are so weak I cannot smile with the right side of my mouth or close my right eye with ease. I will essentially be without the control of the right side of my face for weeks. The cause is said to be a pinched nerve that weakened the muscles on that side of my face, a totally random occurrence. However, it's interesting to note that the week before I got Bell's Palsy, I was listening to At Twilight; a lot of At Twilight. I don't think a pinched nerve rendered the right side of my face useless. I think Divider pummeled the right side of my face into submission. And that is in no way a negative thing.
Hailing from Long Island, Divider plays a very fast, very technical, very brutal and chaotic form of hardcore reminiscent of Converge, which makes sense since At Twilight was recorded by Kurt Ballou at God City Studios. Divider is one of those bands that just makes you feel pissed off and angry at society and its current state. Socially and politically driven, At Twilight holds absolutely nothing back in their messages about marketing, the destruction of the environment, and ultimately the way the majority of society in America has decided to live their lives. During "Malled", Tym Barash, the vocalist of Divider and owner of Shock Value Records, yells:
I'm fucking sick of being accosted down every hall I walk. Stop feeding me bullshit to improve my style. I'm fine with myself, the fucking way I am!
This is the general attitude of Divider: Live for yourself, and fuck society and its mistakes. Vocally, Barash is diverse and brutal in his approach, using growls, screams, yells, and pissed out singing to create a very recognizable and uncompromising style of hardcore. The vocals change on a dime with the sound structures, moving from ultra fast hardcore to brutal thrash and metal in an instant. To accompany Barash's vocals, Divider is able to use quick breakdowns, driving bass and guitars, and pulsating drum beats to provide a very unforgiving atmosphere.
At Twilight is a very promising first release from a very promising band. Who cares if the right side of your face is useless after listening to Divider? Hopefully At Twilight is a sign of things to come from Divider, and I can only hope for them to keep kicking our asses with future releases.
