Music Review – Divine Image

By Erin Jardine

Divine Image. Credit: @divineimageband Instagram

Divine Image are a six-piece hardcore metal band from Sunderland, who describe themselves as “defying genre boundaries” and creating a “harsh, groovy wall of sound.”

And it’s true that although they do a lot of heavy guitar riffing, they also have an atmospheric tone, reminiscent of Realm Of Torment and Xnomad.

Divine Image have had its ups and downs. With a new line-up change, starting from July 2023, the band currently consists of six members between the ages of 16 and 19. They are
Joseph Whatcott (lead vocals), Connell Donoghue (co-vocals), Seth Bromage (lead guitar), Logan Wilkinson (rhythm guitar), Adam Crookes (bass/backing vocals) and Matty Hutchinson (drum).

They gave a show at the Bunker in Sunderland last month that will live long in my memory.

Divine Image shared the event with N/A and Joseph Whatcott’s other band, Pieces of Eden. The N/A are a metal band hailing from Newcastle, diverting from their normal territory to treat us all in the town. For Pieces of Eden, it was their debut show.

https://www.instagram.com/divineimageband/

Divine Image headlined the show with a 40-minute set, so we got tunes new and old. The band’s loyal fans were hyped even before they got in, ready to get in the mosh pit. The venue was completely sold out. In fact, people were being turned away at the doors. It was hot, it was sweaty, it was loud. A proper metal fest.

The N/A gave us a real treat, playing their first-ever show in Sunderland, playing their newest singles, Alone and Search For The Throne. They surprised us all by inviting Divine Image vocalist Connell Donoghue on stage to sing along and feature during their set. If you’re not a fan of mosh pits then you’ll have struggled during this one. The pit was absolutely bouncing.

Pieces Of Eden’s first show came several months after playing mysterious demos on their social media account and enticing us all with those small teasers. They are definitely one to
keep an eye out within the local scene, with them having a gig almost every month for the rest of the year and an EP coming out later in the year. Divine Image played some unreleased tracks, such as Lesser Morality and Precipice Of Nothingness, alongside fan favourites such as Sectioned and The Unseen. The energy was amazing, with everyone chanting the words alongside, even being handed the microphone to sing along.

Lead guitarist Seth Bromage said afterwards: “The gig went so ridiculously well, the sound was so incredible (massive shoutout to Phil from the Bunker) and it was the best atmosphere we’ve ever had.”

If you unfortunately didn’t manage to get down, or you were just too busy moshing in the pit, you can watch the whole gig on the Bunker CIC YouTube channel, as well as archives of many other talented local artists.

If you’d like to support Divine Image or Pieces Of Eden, or even just support your local scene, come along and see Divine Image at Roulette Festival on May 4 at Independent in Sunderland. Pieces of Eden will be at Zerox in Newcastle on April 13.

Divine Image and Pieces of Eden will have new releases out this year and you can find them on Spotify, Amazon Music and any other major streaming platforms, so make sure to give them a listen.