LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES | Dark Divine | Album Review

A moth gravitating towards a flame may be a very frequently seen cliche in the eyes of many, however, the idea also applies to the name of a band started by Chris Roetter after his departure from bands like Emarosa and Agraceful. Like Moths To Flames has been often listed in the wide crop of bands using the metalcore/post-hardcore combination and is seemingly one of the brighter lights of popularity in the genre. Sure, it's not nearly as popular anymore as it was when bands like this were everywhere during the time the band released their debut album "When We Don't Exist", but Like Moths To Flames is a recognizable name to anyone who listens to this genre or along with Of Mice And Men, Crown The Empire, We Came As Romans, and Memphis May Fire. The difference is that I don't think Like Moths To Flames has veered too far off course from what they were doing in the past. They've stayed consistent with the style of music they've composed several albums around since their inception, only calming things down every now and then. That is admirable if you're wanting to keep a similar identity throughout the years so your fans can be happy, but that doesn't always make for great material unless you really grab the listener's attention with it. So, as we take a look at the Like Moths To Flames' fourth disc entitled "Dark Divine", will we get something great? That will be revealed as we examine the track listing. 

The first three singles to be released from this disc were "Nowhere Left To Sink", the title track, and "Empty The Same". As this disc had five songs that were pre-released before the album came out, the first three showed that Like Moths To Flames intended on making this more diverse and melodic than past works, with the best example of this being the first single and the second track on the album, "Nowhere Left To Sink". After giving this album a listen, I can confirm that this is the highlight track here. The song has an amazing flow from verse to chorus and the instrumentation, while not too complex or complicated in the guitar riff department, adds a highly serviceable flavor to the track. The other two tracks out of the first three are also very good and give you the feeling that this will be a more melodic experience than the chugging riffage found in the band's first three albums. However, outside of these three songs, "Dark Divine" is not much different from those albums. The musicianship is still pretty much the same which will definitely suffice fans worrying that the album may be a lot calmer and softer, but for people like me who were anticipating more of these songs on the track listing, you'll be a little thrown off guard. 

I don't necessarily think this album is bad or anything like that, but most of this album is stuff you've heard before. Now, one could make the argument that tracks like "Nowhere Left To Sink" have been done before as well, but at least there is something about that song that engages you. It would be the same way if they had put out three heavier songs that were good, and then the rest of the album was just OK radio friendly tracks or ballads. The problem is with this album they're not exactly reinventing the wheel or trying a more diverse palette of ideas. There are definitely songs on this disc that are solid for what they are like "From The Dust Returned" or "Instinctive Intuition", and "The Skeletons I Keep" is promising as well with its mixture of the two styles mainly at the forefront on this album, but the rest of this album doesn't do enough with its metalcore or post-hardcore style that at the very least turn your head in a complete amazing shock. Song like the album opener "New Plagues", "Shallow Truths For Shallow Minds", and "False Idol" won't be revisited much as they all sound very similar with the breakdown-esque guitar riffs and the overall pacing that is featured within. None of these songs register as "bad" or even "below average", but the flaw that sticks out like a sore thumb is the fact that they aren't very good either. 

My opinion is that this album is just average. I wanted to really love this album after hearing "Nowhere Left To Sink" and the other two songs I mainly gravitated towards before the album came out, and I still see some potential in the future for improvement as well as better material from the band, but as for this album, it's a definitive mixed bag. If you are a metalcore lover, there is a massive chance that you will love this album since it does have the tried and true metalcore characteristics implemented in its sound and it is not done or performed poorly. There's definitely a lot to enjoy if you are big on this style, and the softer moments here are enough of a deviation that it won't necessarily polarize the fanbase like a few of their contemporaries have done in the past. However, if you're new to Like Moths To Flames and you're coming from a more melodic point of view as far as musical taste, and you want to see a little bit more than just typicality and mediocrity, there are definitely shades of diversity placed within but they are at a slightly minimal rate on this album. It kinda depends on how you look at it, honestly. As for me, I sort of enjoyed it, and I definitely won't shy away from my light recommendation I'm offering in this review, but as for perfect or great material, this okay album doesn't really hit the mark. 

RATING: 6/10 

What did you think about the record? Was it good? Was it bad? Let me know in the comments below. And of course, these are only my opinions. If your opinions are different, awesome! If they're similar, then that's great, too. So, don't hesitate- comment to me about it down below. Take care.