The trend of “bedroom producer-turned full instrumental band” is ramping up – Plini and Sithu Aye both recently assembled live bands – and Canada’s Divine Realm can be added to the list. Multi-instrumentalist Leo Diensthuber is the originator of Divine Realm and “Tectum Argenti” is the resulting full-length debut after bandmates Marc Roy (guitar), Tyler Brayton (bass, recording engineer, producer) and Josh Ingram (drums) joined the group.
There are breakdowns, dual guitar harmonies, blast beats, shredding guitar solos, but more importantly there is a focus on the whole song instead of disparate pieces combined to make a song. One can’t listen to only the first 30 seconds of a 4-minute song and know what’s going to happen in the upcoming 3:30. Fun fact: it only took until track two to discover a 7/8 time signature!
There are a few calm acoustic moments placed in just the right places within the songs. I like the way the rhythm guitar is in the left ear on occasion while the lead guitar rips in the right ear, it shows how there are reasons for certain rhythm parts, and not just a bed over which the lead will play (listen to the beginning of Inherit the Earth for prime example).
Production is crystalline, on par with other players in the instrumental prog game like Intervals and Animals As Leaders. The synths and natural sound transitions between songs is just the right segue to get the listener ready for the next “chapter.” Divine Realm’s “Tectum Argenti” belongs in your collection.
Rating: 7.5/10
Tracklist:
1. Tritos
2. Cloak and Dagger
3. Inherit the Earth
4. Tectum Argenti
5. Glass Empire
6. Ab Aeterno
7. Metaphor of the Sun
Progressive Music Planet 
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