There’s always those sleeper year-end picks, often early-year or last-minute releases that just fly underneath your radar for whatever reason. For me that 2009 release is Divinity’s The Singularity, which I first highlighted in October with the simple headline “Fucking Wow.” The more I listen to The Singularity, the better it gets… I am incredibly impressed with this band and I can’t fathom why Nuclear Blast dropped them.

The Divinity are an insanely talented band who’ve just released an amazing album that just isn’t getting the attention it deserves. I was listening to the full album yesterday on my iPod… and “fucking wow” is still about all I can come up with. It’s it’s complex, it’s progressive, it’s deep, it’s brutal, it’s shreddy, it’s hooky, it’s artsy… it’s everything you (I) want a metal record to be. Every musician in the band is top-notch, including vocalist Sean Jenkins with whom I’m especially impressed (this from a guy who ordinarily doesn’t focus on vocals). My one gripe with the record is the somewhat flat production; it’s clear and well-mixed to be sure, but it just sounds a little flat and lifeless to me. Minor gripe.

This is a great record highly worthy of your attention right this instant; stream the entire thing on Divinity’s MySpace. Not in a few minutes, not later, not tomorrow… NOW. Just do it.

-VN

[I would once again like to thank MS reader Raymond Lee for turning me onto this band in the first place.]