Divine Right have spent the last two and a half years making their place in North Carolina Hardcore. Relentless touring and festival sets have propelled them, earning them a status as one of the state’s most vital new bands. Sharing stages with One King Down, Magnitude, Madball, Harm's Way, Candy, Orthodox, and the late Broken Vow, the band has kept moving, pushing their sound and message further with each release.
Their new EP, Echoes of Affliction, out soon on New Age Records, captures that evolution. After years spent sharpening their sound, Divine Right now play with a confidence that sets them apart from the band that recorded their debut.
"It's good to be back," vocalist Josh tells No Echo. "We've been having a lot of fun. No lineup changes, just still happy to be five best friends doing this together. We were able to sit down with new material and figure out exactly what we wanted to improve on after our first EP. I can look back on where my bandmates and I were three years ago and be very proud of how much we've all grown as both musicians and people."
No Echo is premiering the EP’s closing track, “Impenitent.”
The song functions as both the record's finale and its defining statement." In the studio, it was immediately unanimous that this was the song we wanted as the single that encompasses the whole EP," Josh says. "In a few words, it's an anti-war song. Waking up in a world where the first thing you see is the destruction of civilizations and innocent civilians is a bleak thing to witness in real time. You feel helpless, like you're going insane when no one around you bats an eye or shows any remorse."
The singer points to his upbringing in a small North Carolina town as a key influence on the lyrics. "Growing up where the majority of people were very pro-war and prejudiced against anyone who wasn't just like them, it was something I avoided speaking on until I found hardcore in my early teens and met like-minded people who also believed in non-violence and anti-war messages."
Echoes of Affliction is also Divine Right’s first release with New Age Records, a label that helped shape the band’s own musical roots. "When Mike [Hartsfield] reached out about doing a vinyl release, we were immediately on board," Josh says. "Seeing bands like Unbroken, Trial, Lifetime, Turning Point, and Mouthpiece associated with New Age is very full circle for us. We owe a lot to Mike and the New Age family."
Divine Right plan to keep playing shows, writing new material, and staying active in North Carolina’s growing hardcore community. "We've been lucky enough to see a resurgence of shows in Charlotte recently and even started booking shows ourselves," Josh says. "The North Carolina hardcore scene has grown so much over the last several years. If your band's tour is skipping North Carolina, just know you're missing out."
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Echoes of Affliction will be out soon via New Age Records
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