Coming straight out of Aachen, Germany, Division 52 makes its entrance with ‘Total War’, a five-track EP that takes its musical cues directly from the uncompromising school of Bestial Black/Death Metal. If Revenge is indeed the first name that comes to mind, you are certainly not mistaken. Furthermore, there are also shades of the German underground’s own Blood Vengeance in the overall approach, effectively delivering a crude mixture of militaristic aggression, primitive riffing, and relentless sonic hostility.
From the opening assault of ‘Sturmtruppen’, the direction is immediately established. There are no fancy arrangements, nor are there unnecessary technical displays, just grinding guitar work, pounding drums, and a rough vocal delivery. The music is deliberately straightforward, drawing heavily from the familiar War Metal formula. There is certainly a distinct charm to this kind of raw execution, although I must admit that the overall presentation carries a somewhat amateurish touch.
The production is undeniably rough around the edges, and some of the arrangements could certainly benefit from tighter execution. Nevertheless, this imperfect character also contributes significantly to the EP’s primitive atmosphere. Tracks like ‘Iron Behemoth’ and ‘Angels of Salvation’ maintain the relentless momentum, while ‘Death March’ brings additional vocal appearances from Nvnfvkker and Dominus A.S. of Naked Whipper, thereby adding another dose of underground filth to the proceedings.
Of course, there is very little originality to be found here. Division 52 clearly operates within an established musical tradition, and the influence of Revenge is admittedly difficult to overlook. However, this is not necessarily intended to be some groundbreaking musical statement. Rather, it is about delivering raw, hostile, and uncompromising Black/Death Metal without bothering too much about sophistication.
At just under twenty minutes, ‘Total War’ is a relatively short but straightforward assault. The amateurish edges might not appeal to everyone, and the songwriting occasionally feels a little underdeveloped, yet there is enough primitive aggression to keep devotees of this particular underground style interested.
It serves as a rough and rather unpolished War Metal assault. Not quite the next Revenge, but Division 52 certainly understands the language of total sonic warfare.
