The Ruthless Divine

The Ruthless Divine is the second album from this California band that has a name and playing style that you can be excused for assuming was European. They are power metal at the core, sometimes thrashy and sharp, sometimes speedy and smooth, but always powerful and in your face. The playing is solid with no one member doing anything outrageously amazing but none not carrying his weight. The songwriting has a little more variety than some albums in this genre, which is a nice change of pace. "League of Shadows" has a chorus you wouldn't be surprised to hear from Visigoth (Singer Norman Skinner sounds a bit like Jake Rogers on this one) while "Fires in the Sky" is driven at a good clip by double-kick drums and has a strong Labyrinth vibe. Niviane aren't doing anything you haven't heard before but if you want your power metal to have a little more bite, you should check out The Ruthless Divine.