DIVINE CHAOS took the trip over the bridge from Slough to a soggy Pontypridd in South Wales to play at Tom’s Bar tonight. It cost the band their time, money and effort to do this and despite getting lost on the way through the narrow, hillside streets to find the venue, the band aren’t going to grumble.

They’re the first band to play tonight and are followed by two other bands that sound about as close to Divine Chaos as… two things that don’t sound all that close. It’s fairly easy to spot early on that the small roomful of people watching are not going to be blown away by any form of extreme metal. It’s a testament to them then, that Divine Chaos begin playing with the energy and musicianship that they would exhibit to a more appreciative crowd. The closed off area for the band to play in doesn’t afford much room for elaborate movement so vocalist Benny stands out in front of the band sneering through his raspy vocals.

Melodic and technical, yet consistently brutal, the guitar work captures the attention and although there are a few niggles within the band to be ironed out, possibly due to line-up changes, it’s not noticeable enough to reach the point of distraction. The band deal with these small problems well and don’t skip a note. Talking to the band later, it’s apparent that they’re harder on themselves than anyone else in the room. The perfectionism and dedication they show are to be admired. With their sound so close to being a polished end product and being able to cut it live, these five should have their ambitions realised before too long.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Owain Richards