As much as I enjoy listening to a good progressive metal album, I’ve found that it isn’t a genre I typically listen to on a regular basis. I think it has to do with instant gratification; Thrash and death metal albums instantly satisfy with straightforward speed and aggression, and power metal pleases with its melody quality, yet progressive metal (save for a few bands) requires in-depth listening sessions to appreciate all the complexity happening within. When done right, a prog metal album can be just as entertaining (or perhaps moreso) than even the catchiest of music, and that is certainly the case with Italian prog / power metal band Eversin. Their debut album, Divina Distopia, though flawed, is an impressive work that brings together some of my favorite musical elements: You’re got the majesty of power metal added with the aggression of thrash, and it’s all wrapped up in a nice progressive shell that’s chock full of weird time signatures, regular stylistic shifts, and occasional background keyboard work that has me recalling Yes at certain moments.

From beginning to end, Divina Distopia never fails to be entertaining. This is the kind of progressive music I enjoy most: very complex, but not so much that you can’t determine what exactly is going on, and featuring just enough melody to ensure that the album keeps you hooked. The title track here is the best representation of Eversin’s sound: It has a soft acoustic section, excellent lead guitar and keyboard driven melodies, and thrashy portions throughout that accent the song well. Other than this track, there are no real highlights to be found, because Divina Distopia is an incredibly consistent record throughout; with the exception of the two closing tracks (Suddenly and In My Dreams They Live), things remain relatively fast paced, though as I said before, the tempo and style of the songs are always fluctuating. As Eversin is a relatively unknown band, the production is decidedly underground in quality, and while I’d like it to be clearer (progressive music really needs flawless production, in my opinion), it is certainly better than on many underground albums around. The guitars sound a bit too fuzzy, but the drums are well mixed; very punchy and energetic sounding, even when the tempo isn’t on the fast side.

Now, it’s always difficult to talk about the flaws in a band that I’ve been in contact with since I know that they will be reading this, but alas, Eversin and Divina Distopia suffer from two key problems. The first is vocalist Angelo Ferrante’s voice; his Italian accent is rather thick here, which isn’t a problem, but he has pitch problems that overshadow the good things in his voice, such as his vibrato and tone, which sometimes reminds me of Hansi Kursch; if he can work on not sounding so shaky during the more intense segments, I’m sure he’ll make a fine vocalist in the future, though I’m not entirely sure that he’s a good fit for Eversin’s style. The second problem I have with Divina Distopia is that Eversin simply tries too hard to fit as many riffs and tempo changes into the album as they possibly can; these songs need STRUCTURE, though there is no definite framework to be found in any of these songs. And while the music itself always good, there’s so many changes happening all the time that it’s hard to remember songs after you’re done listening to the album.

However, the fact that the songs take many listens to properly remember (and you will most likely enjoy every listen until you reach that point) may just work in Eversin’s favor because they give you all the more reason to listen to this entertaining album again. Divina Distopia isn’t very long – it has only seven songs and is around forty minutes in length – but in that short time this record manages to draw you in with its talented musicianship and excellent, subtle keyboard work, and every time you listen to Divina Distopia you’ll discover something new. If Eversin can improve upon its vocal work and adopt a “Less is more” policy on a future album, then they will certainly have potential to become a recognized name in the metal community. A recommended listen for fans of progressive metal that are searching for something that’s plenty complex but not as flashy as the genre mainstays, such as Nevermore, that are Eversin’s primary influences.