Now a fixture in the San Jose, CA scene, Divided have been turning heads for a number of years and while they first started out as a hybrid of groups like Incubus, Faith No More, and Puya, this latest demo proves that they have come a long way since. While their funky roots are still firmly in place the band have now grown and branched out into a melodic modern metal hybrid that sounds full bodied and at times even progressive as the group are now able to express themselves with far more subtle song structures.

Energetic and strangely animated, the music is an odd amalgamation of seemingly differing influences and yet for whatever reason it works. Eerily melodic vocals serenade with a hearty stance and hint at their urgency through underlying aggression which plays right into the hands of the groups intricate rhythm section and stylish guitars. Constantly set at a rigid yet accessible pace the group breeze through various twists and turns and never lose sight of their common goal and this pays off big for them in the end.

When comparing songs like "Icarus" and "Face To Face" to their older works its almost like listening to an entirely different band as the prog rock tendencies have engulfed the group and taken them to stunning new heights. Yet despite the weighty nature of the aforementioned songs they still manage to put their own eclectic spin on them through some extra percussion and compelling part changes. In all honesty not everything works as some part changes feel unnecessary and a song or two can be a bit too busy, but as a whole its hard to really fault the entire disc for it. If anything this demo is an aural documentation of a transitional step for a band who look set for bigger and better things and if they continue in the direction this CD suggests they're heading, little looks to be left in their way to success.