Another Swedish gem recently suggested by the always-reliable uber-Bros over at Requiem Metal Podcast, Crystal Age were far from standard issue Scandinavian black/death, opting instead for an aggressively technical take on science-fiction-tinged deathgrind that would have been far more at home in Tampa than Gothenburg. I'm not sure how this one managed to stay off my radar for so long--perhaps it was the fact that members of the band went on to form Hammerfall--but I can't believe I slept on this one, as Divine Horizons might be the very definition of PRIME ILLCON FODDER. As per usual with obscure albums that are this good, it was Crystal Age's only full-length release, and its sheer intensity and obsessive attention to riffsmanship cause one to wonder what cosmic oceans this band could have navigated had they not turned to the twin vices of shampoo and power metal. But alas, the Universe works in mysterious ways.
I am utterly charmed by this odd, lonesome release, the recipe for which I've found to be something like this: Add equal parts Altars-era Morbid Angel, Voivod, Oxiplegatz, Death, and Revenant. (But definitely not Nocturnus. No Nocturnus similarities here whatsoever.) Boil, stir, and season with painfully awesome Star Wars samples. Remove shirt. Serve hella chill.
Download HERE
Purchase HERE
PS: They have a song called "Star Destroyer".
Metallum/Last.FMNo Nocturnus similarities here whatsoever.
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