For those of you who enjoy technical instrumental music, Dysrhythmia is a familiar name. The Philadelphia trio has been making mind bending and technical sounds since 1998. Dysrthythmia, in its true definition, defines an irregular heart beat where the rhythm and pacing is low or high. A suitable name for a band whose signature written style lends itself to complex and irregular melodies and rhythms that blend a technical composition and structure with a melodic journey. The Veil of Control will be the band's seventh full-length album, and journey continues to enrich and engage the listeners experience.
Plenty of technical music today focuses on quick starts and stops, hasty tempo changes, as well as Djenty conversations that can incorporate anything from whiny clean singing, to death growls and pinch notes. As the sub genre continues to lose its way, fewer bands are finding a name for themselves amidst all the similar distortions and copied effects. One of the strongest attributes I believe Dysrthythmia has is that identity so many other bands chase and artificially attempt to infuse. Sure, every band has its influences, but when you're drawing influence from bands like Gorguts, your music will contain a more mature sound. Identity is what brings me back over and over again. The pleasing melodic foundation molded with the technical and jazzy attributes is not a new idea or method of creating progressive technical music, but when developed with intentional identity, it can have the effect as if your hearing the subgenre for the first time.
"Severed and Whole" is one of my favorite tracks. Clear, rhythmic, wandering riffs fill the bulk of the sound, being presented in a forceful, but tactful manner. The drums follow the discord to an extent, finding moments of independent venture, to only re-write its foundation back into a melodic temperament as a tease. By minute 2:45, the listener is fully influenced by this chaotic escapade, only to be led into a calm, and catchy melodic discord that bounces from beautiful and smart epilogues to bass heavy aural assaults of the mysterious, yet familiar jazzy progressive core.
The mood and tone also contribute to a lot of the originality and identity on The Veil of Control. Eerie wandering echo-like effects that stretch through time and space, searching for receptive interference, then delivering a pounding charge that manifests into grooves, patterns, and catchy encores containing hints of previous thematic elements. A scientific experiment in sound and patterns with the intent and core of melodic overtures. Yes, this is geek out music for those lovers of Trve technical metal. Stripped down music and effects delivering a clean and polished album almost more reminiscent of complex "math stuff" than of music itself.
For those who are not as used to the more "extreme" technical metal end of the spectrum, fear not. This heavily melodic influenced band carries enough comprehensive structure to allow even ignorant music fans to enjoy this complex album. This album is at the front of a subgenre in much need of the real deal. I'm very pleased with Dysrthythmia's The Veil of Control.
Score: 7.5/10
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