AN NCS PREMIERE: MACHINATIONS OF FATE — “A SPLIT SECOND OF DIVINITY”

Kentucky-based Machinations of Fate made their recording debut almost a dozen years ago with their album-length demo Tyrannous Skies. Significant time passed before the band made another release — a self-titled debut album released by Redefining Darkness Records in 2020 that was a re-mixed and re-mastered version of the tracks from the demo that also included re-recorded drum tracks, courtesy of Ash Thomas (Faithxtractor & Shed the Skin). Although the songs weren’t new, they received a very positive reception, which fueled the band’s work on a follow-up album.

That second album, Celestial Prophecies, is now finished and set for release by the same Redefining Darkness Records on July 28th. The label describes it as “first and foremost, fueled by melody, while the rhythms remain aggressive and cutting”, bringing to mind at different times the classic works of Hypocrisy, Dissection, Immortal or Dimmu Borgir, the kind of thing that “will appeal to those metal fans who have been diehards for decades”.

To help pave the way to this eagerly anticipated follow-up album, today we’re bringing you its second single, a song called “A Split Second of Divinity“.

photos by Jeff Adkins

A good place to begin our introduction of the song is with commentary about it by the band’s new vocalist Cody Knarr and founding bassist/guitarist Jason Pate:

“’A Split Second of Divinity‘ was my first songwriting and vocal performance experience with Machinations of Fate. I believe the song title was coined by Jason (guitarist / main songwriter), so I drew inspiration from that and began writing lyrics. The subject matter is about gaining the fleeting power of a god, abusing those powers, and ultimately losing them as oblivion itself devours you. A split second on a cosmic scale – as the machinations of fate slowly move – could have been an aeon in earth years, so who knows how long this god actually held his powers.” – Cody

“There is a melody introduced early on that was intended to complement the verse riff to help the song to ebb and flow and give it dimension. Jon from Dissection did this constantly and tastefully. Jon‘s playing and song construction is a HUGE inspiration on me.” – Jason

Melody does play a vital role in the song, appearing in its chorus sections to give the song a soaring yet also bereft feeling, but that’s not what you’ll notice first. What you’ll notice first is the sensation of being caught in a hurricane of fire, thanks to thrash-fueled riffing that feverishly skitters and blares like sirens, drumming that snaps like spring-loaded traps and spits like a machine-pistol, and the scalding and screaming fury of vocals that spawn terrorizing visions of a cornered panther.

That wailing, sky-high melody, which follows the first two gale-force verse sections, does indeed give the song a different and gripping dimension, but the riffing and percussive variations that come next also expand the music’s dimensions, providing head-hooking fretwork pulses over double-bass munitions, as well as sensations of lurching menace and cold but rabid viciousness. All of that leads into a spectacular guitar solo and then a reprising of all the song’s electrifying riffage and drumwork, and of course that stunning melody, that make the track such a breathtaking experience overall.

 

 

MACHINATIONS OF FATE is:
Cody Knarr – Vocals
Jason Pate – Guitar & Bass
Brian Henn – Guitar
Alex Hooper – Drums

Credit for the new album’s cover art goes to Disartdesign. Redefining Darkness will release it on vinyl, CD, and digital formats, and pre-orders are open now via the links below.

We also invite you to listen to the album’s first single, “Cosmic Womb“, which had its premiere at Invisible Oranges. It’s less of a hurricane-force riot, compared to today’s song premiere (though it’s also well-laced with fleet-fingered fretwork and bursts of percussive mania), and more dire, distressing, and desolate in its moods. The melodic leads again play key roles in channeling those dark moods, but so do the riffs.

On the other hand, you’ll come to a point in “Cosmic Womb” when the music does catch fire, racing and ravishing in its effects, its ferocity fueled by darting fretwork and piston-driven drums, and capped by the kind of guitar soloing that pops eyes and drops jaws.

PRE-ORDER:
https://machinationsoffate.bandcamp.com/album/celestial-prophecies
https://shop.redefiningdarkness.com/

MACHINATIONS OF FATE:
https://www.facebook.com/machinationsoffate
https://www.instagram.com/machinations_of_fate_official/