(Melodic Death Metal / Modern Metal) System Divide - The Conscious Sedation - 2010, APE (image+.cue+scans) lossless

Founded in summer 2008, SYSTEM DIVIDE quickly became a transnational project with in its rank vocalists Sven De Caluwe (Aborted) and Miri Milman, longtime friends Cole Martinez (ex Years Of Fire, Antenora), Andrew Lenthe (Antenora), and Mike Heller (Malignancy). SYSTEM DIVIDE set out to revolutionize the conventions of the over-saturated melodic death metal genre, proving that extreme metal can have more depth than blast beats, while female vocals do not have to conform to the precepts of the “Goth” genre. In mixing many styles The Collapse , the band’s debut EP breaks all the rules of extreme metal and is a landmark release for the young band.
As opposed to interjecting simple, predictable clean choruses into contrived song structures, SYSTEM DIVIDE unites serene female vocals and extreme vocals driven by lyrical themes that confront and seek to break everyday themes of disillusionment, societal materialism, and individual apathy. Musically, the band delivers myriad styles of riffing and grooves, while augmenting the entrancing soundscapes with hard-hitting drums and intricate bass lines. These elements together define the unique, spell binding, hypnotic sound of SYSTEM DIVIDE.
In order to achieve this complex calculus of sounds on The Collapse, Cole Martinez handled tracking duties at Conquistador Recordings. Mixing and mastering duties were handled by Jacob Hansen (Aborted, HateSphere Volbeat) at Hansen Studios in Denmark in April and May 2009. Artwork for The Collapse was completed by Colin Marks (Strapping Young Lad, Aborted, Nevermore). The result is a sonic and visual masterpiece that metal has eagerly been waiting for.
http://www.myspace.com/systemdivide
http://www.facebook.com/systemdivide#!/systemdivide?v=info
http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=3540282596

I have this super head cold. It’s as if a concrete truck has backed up to me and poured 9 yards of cement into my sinuses. Needless to say, I’ve not been myself. It’s been hard to listen to some music because I feel like I’m in a constant state of astral-projection. Aside from the super shot with steroids courtesy of my doctor, nothing has been getting through to me. That was until I cranked some System Divide. They were just the jackhammer I needed to break me out of my stuffy hypnosis.
System Divide consist of Miri Milman (vocals), Sven De Caluwe (vocals), Cole Martinez (guitar and sounds), Michael Wilson (guitar), Andrew Lenthe (bass), and Mike Heller (drums). I was not prepared for this band. I saw their press release and thought, oh great, another Euro death goth Nightwish wannabe. Wow. I. Was. Wrong.
System Divide may have female vocals to offset their tech death onslaught, but they do not follow the Euro pop metal conventions I’ve grown to dread. Their debut album, The Conscious Sedation, is mind numbingly hard. They crushed my assumptions with the first track, “Vagaries of Perception”. That song makes me want to reach out to Mike Heller and ask him why he’s so angry; the drumming is outrageous.
The Conscious Sedation is full of down-tuned goodness. Martinez and Wilson have these crazy murderous riffs throughout the album. “An Intoxicating Affair”, the second cut, is how I feel about the whole album. I can’t get enough. In fact, I would like more instrumental parts. Don’t get me wrong, the vocals are fantastic, but “Stagnant Progression”, the closing track, is a standout song because of instrumental moments. I would also like less Linkin Park piano and synth drum loops; those moments take away from otherwise great songs.
I also noticed Lenthe’s bass-lines in many of the tracks, always a plus when a metal band knows how to use the bass player for more than filler material.
Milman and De Caluwe make incredible smooth and hard vocal wonder twin power. I can see it now: shape of a medieval, fire-breathing dragon and form of a bucket of death. There’s a Saturday morning ‘toon for you. Milman’s vocals, especially in “Stagnant Progression” and “The Apex Doctrine” are used perfectly to compliment the complex array of sounds System Divide set up. System Divide remind me of Eluveitie in that they can write incredible death metal songs around epic themes and use female vocals to control the damage.
I’m pleased with System Divide’s debut. The Conscious Sedation is one of the better releases of the year. Is it appropriate to call a death metal release “fresh”? Well, dammit, I am.

Current line-up
Miri Milman - Vocals (Distorted (Isr), Orphaned Land)
Sven de Caluwй - Vocals (Anal Torture, Aborted, Leng Tch'e, In-quest, Whorecore, They:Swarm)
Michael Wilson - Guitars (2009-) (Abigail Williams)
Andrew Lenthe - Bass (Antenora)
Mike Heller - Drums, Percussion (Malignancy, Kalopsia, Secrets She Kept, Disembowel)
Former/past member(s)
Guitars:
Thomas "Plaguehammer" Haywood Jr. (2008) (Abigail Williams)
Cole Martinez (2008-2010) (Forever Untouched, Years of Fire, Hespera, Aborted, Antenora)
Joseph Spiller (2009) (The Binary Code, Caricature (USA), Seraphim Lament)