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A LIFE DIVIDED
The Great Escape

AFM (2013)
Rating: 6/10

The world of heavy music is comprised of more subgenres than you can shake a stick at. Just ask German electro metal band A Life Divided. Munich’s entry into the world of dark, keyboard-driven rock brings to mind a number of their forerunners, and not all are generally referenced in the same sentence.

Surely a listen to their current release The Great Escape will stir thoughts of Stabbing Westward and Linkin Park within the listener. On the other hand it also brings up names such as Europe and Danger Danger. A Life Divided may have established their own genre best described as pop goth.

Lyrically, The Great Escape is an attempt to strip the human psyche down to barebones. This is a theme that requires no introduction. Anyone who owns a radio has heard someone with a microphone bearing their soul. To their credit, A Life Divided does not simply throw out overused clichés or wax poetic about the darkness of the grave. These soul-bearing lyrics contemplate life and death in a way that is relatable without being embarrassingly immature or overly philosophical.

Opening track ‘The Lost’ sets the tone both lyrically and musically with a theme of alienation and music that falls somewhere between early Nine Inch Nails with a late Europe vocal melody. This approach remains through most of the album, with music that crosses genre boundaries and lyrics that remain dark without delving into melancholy.

The mix of musical styles can be either A Life Divided’s secret weapon or Achilles heel. ‘It Ain’t Good’ speeds forward in ground trodden by Stabbing Westward, while ‘Perfect Day’ sounds like a pop metal band from the 80s playing a Type O Negative cover. The deep vocal presented in the verses sounds much like Peter Steele, or even the bass vocals employed on Queensrÿche’s ‘Empire’ (from the 1990 album of the same name). The chorus is heavy on keyboards, melodic vocals and vocal harmonies. It’s hard to not think this chorus is what Danger Danger would sound like during a fit of depression. Is this a statement that the band’s depth is failure? Absolutely not. The mix of sounds presented on The Great Escape is impressive, but it also doesn’t make A Life Divided an easy sell to any fan of a particular genre.

All in all, The Great Escape contains some very enjoyable songs. ‘Foreign Rain’ is reminiscent of Queensrÿche dabbling with modern rock sounds. ‘Wait For Me’ has an 80s new wave edge, and could fit well into a David Bowie album. ‘Goodbye’ is industrial fare, and it’s easy to imagine this is the sound the band is shooting for in many of their songs, finally finding perfect execution. ‘If You Want To’ comes off as a meandering Peter Gabriel B-side. In the end this is a collection of very good songs that don’t gel well as an album.

A Life Divided could be a force to be reckoned with if the band ever overcomes its case of multiple personality disorder. Until then, albums like The Great Escape will appeal to those with a broad musical palate.

Jim McDonald

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