Time is the only factor holding this young band back: it’s been creating music for just over two years now, but with a number of set backs and seemingly continuous lineup changes nothing was ever solidified. The mind child of guitarists Jeff Bridenstine and Chris Postema emerged in the summer of 2005 under the name Perpetual Dissonance, with Steven Smeltzer (Only the Ashes Remain) performing the percussive duties. The goal was to create a metal band centered on infectious melodies instead of the typical dramatically down-tuned “chug” bands of the genre…these guitars are tuned to D standard. To set the musical standard higher than most bands that are just starting, instead of jamming out riffs at practice, Bridenstine and Postema tabbed all of the songs out first, assuring each song to be a well-constructed piece of music, not just a hodgepodge of riffs strewn together; there are well over twenty of these completed songs waiting to be acted upon.
In early 2006 Smeltzer left the band to pursue his interests as a grind drummer, leaving the position of drummer open for Justin Henry, a death metal-minded drummer from Niles, MI. The speed and death metal implements Henry brought to the songs were a drastic departure from the drumming Bridenstine and Postema had become comfortable with. Songs were upped by, in some cases, forty beats per minute. This posed a new challenge for the skilled guitarists, as the parts they played were difficult enough before the tempo change. Bridenstine was excited to have a speedy drummer on the kit, while Postema wasn’t exactly ecstatic, and insisted that the songs be played at regular tempo. The denial of speed was a denial of style to Henry, and he left Perpetual Dissonance six months after he joined, once again, leaving the drummer position unfilled.
It was then time for a reassessment of goals for Bridenstine and Postema. With a new idea of what music they wanted to perform, and a new wife and child in Postema’s life, he opted to leave Bridenstine on good terms, and Jeff was alone in his struggle to form a truly original melodic metal group.
Shortly after the break up, a new drummer stepped in, one with a hardcore influence, Nate Porter. Nate had the foot speed Bridenstine was looking for and was welcomed into Perpetual Dissonance. The band, now partially stable, was in search of a vocalist. Henry caught wind of this and decided to give it a shot, he had done vocals in a death metal band previously. The new mixture of heavily used double bass, screams and death growls added a new feel to the music, making it more aggressive than could have been conceived in the earlier days. Henry rejoined as the vocalist and shortly thereafter, bass player Johnny Ellis of Ann Arbor came into the picture. This was the first time the band had had close to a complete lineup, the lack of a second guitarist wasn't stopping them. Determined to keep going with what they had, the band started to play gigs and picked up some more fans along the way. The demo was recorded with Bridenstine, Ellis, Henry and Porter in the summer of 2007, and the name was changed from Perpetual Dissonance to The Divine Infirmity mid recording. The new name fit better with the new style, new lineup and especially lyrical content. With a new demo to push, the band continued to take any gig they could get, traveling all over the state of Michigan. Reoccurring problems with Porter forced the band to drop him, and Henry was more than happy to get back on the drums, as the new shape of the band promised plenty of speed and hard hitting sections since his last venture on the kit.
After yet again another lineup change, the band was once again in search of new members, a guitarist to complete the harmonies and counter-melodies of the material written, and a vocalist. Both were found in Manchester resident and newest member David DuRussel (Shapeless Construct). For the first time ever this band was completely filled out. At shows expect to hear harmonized guitar leads, jazzy bass runs and pummeling drumming aplenty. The Divine Infirmity has a lot to offer metal heads in search of something that strays from the mainstream, and delves into an almost non-existent genre: AMERICAN MELODIC DEATH METAL.
Links
Battle Creek Enquirer Article - 9/6/07
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