Four years after the release of their breakthrough EP “Riser”, Belgian post-hardcore wonders Divided return with Light Will Shine; a gripping debut and a whirlwind of sights, colours and sounds perfectly blending hardcore’s pure energy with post-rock’s reflective introspection. The album explores themes of melancholia, anger, and helplessness, while also rejoicing with the jubilation and trepidation of youth. These two “personas” inside the record are expressed sonically via a masterful juxtaposition of angular riffs and more distended harmonic sections, and singing patterns that vary between bellowing screams and tear-jerking cleans. Transposing these emotional and very personal themes onto a full-distended sonic spectrum, Light Will Shine always manages to remain hopeful, and true to its name, stand as a beacon of hope in today’s dark and tumultuous times.
Playfully juxtaposing hardcore aggression with more distended sonorities, Divided find their own key to sonic catharsis; to be found in the immediacy of their fist full-length album. The key here is profoundness of the message being delivered paired with the immediacy of the means; the messenger is a sonically fascinating and enthralling record, filled with as much meaning as catchy riffs. Despite being covered in so many layers Light Will Shine’s message comes easily across, thanks to its universal character and the immediate impact of the music surrounding it.
“Gripping and moving, Light Will Shine is an emotional roller-coaster across the full spectrum of human emotions: anger, sadness, joy, elation. This album perfectly captures all the highs and lows that make us truly vulnerable, and therefore, truly human.”
This is an album that transcends genres while always managing to sound familiar, as these sonic excursions into psychedelic rock, shoegaze and punk, never stay as simple sonic digressions, but always manage to emerge as main characters standing on their own against the tide of the hardcore riffing. Divided manage to explore their influence freely, while staying firmly anchored to their robust post-hardcore core, taking the listener along, rather than estranging him from, this sonic exploration. And while this album definitely packs a punch (or two, or three) non disdain some blissful post-rock atmospherics incorporating elements of shoegaze progressions and even some Swan-like theatrics and vocalisations. Gripping and moving, Light Will Shine is an emotional roller-coaster across the full spectrum of human emotions: anger, sadness, joy, elation. This album perfectly captures all the highs and lows that make us truly vulnerable, and therefore, truly human. Singer-drummer Pepijn sings-screams-narrates a record ripe with emotions that ripple through roaring soundscapes that perfectly accompany these heartfelt narrations.
In the opening lines of leading single “Cinder” drummer and singer Pepijn sings (screams, really) “All We Need Is In Our Heads” - a line that will come to represent this whole record so perfectly it encapsulates all its many facets. As you will grow familiar with Light Will Shine and recall its many highlights in the back of your head, you’ll be surprised how it all sounds so simple in its immediacy, yet so profound in its complexity.The end result is a thrilling debut; a masterclass in writing a modern post-hardcore record that pushes boundaries without compromising on any of its trademark qualities, and an album destined to become the perfect soundtrack to many drives and trips, thanks to its distinctive cinematic character. A brilliant record that presents us a grown-up band fully in control of their boundless talent and bearing their soul for all of us to see.