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Dysrhythmia - Coffin Of Conviction review



Reviewer:
N/A

21 users:
7.52
Band: Dysrhythmia
Album: Coffin Of Conviction
Style: Technical progressive metal
Release date: June 07, 2024
A review by: RaduP


01. Coffin Of Conviction
02. Headspace Extraction
03. All Faults
04. No Breath After Beauty
05. Subliminal Order
06. The Luxury Of Disbelief
07. Light From The Zenith

You'll rarely find a more fitting band name.

I have this little space in my mind for what I call "Colin Marston bands". That's a little unfair to Dysrhythmia since Colin Marston isn't even a founding member of the band, having joined in 2004, by the time the band already had three albums out. But regardless, he is the glue that ties a lot of these bands together in my mind, maybe even some that don't actually have him in their lineup, but he either produced or guested on their albums. Krallice is the one that comes to mind the most (covered by yours truly here and here), but the man's reach goes deeper and deeper. But I somehow never got to touch one of the oldest of the bands in his reach.

As I said it's a bit unfair to use just Colin Marston as a point of reference here, since both he and Kevin Hufnagel are also currently Gorguts members, which is inarguably an even bigger point of reference. So there's quite a big chance that folks would be more familiar with Gorguts than either of the bands I've referenced, but those who are familiar will no doubt be aware of that specific touch that those "Colin Marston bands" have. A kind of progressive music that relies a lot on pushing dissonance and... uhhh... dysrhythmia to its final form, the final conclusion of technical music, whether that's within metal or not. Dysrhythmia and Coffin Of Conviction are particularly more on the border of what is metal than confidently on either side. And technical as it is, the final conclusion of technical music this is not.

The first thing about Dysrhythmia is that this is an instrumental trio. Everyone knows vocals are the best indicator of genre, for the lack of it, the riffing follows, and the riffing on Coffin Of Conviction is not something I'd exactly describe as heavy, but rather colorful. Not exactly in a playful or jovial way, but one if which the grooves are twisted, but they do exist as genuine grooves, maybe even pleasantly melodic (see the interplay with the synths in the closing track). Everything can be angular and dealt with in uncommonalities in the technical sense, but the intensity of something like Encenathrakh is dialed back for something that's more Don Caballero-style math rock spiced with King Crimson avant-jazz-prog than a complete assault on the senses, both in the density of notes and in the density of the production. Sure, it's not without its metalness, as I've already placed it on the border of it, but a lot of it more akin to the noodliest of Cynic's moments.

I don't follow Dysrhythmia to enough of a degree as to confidently place Coffin Of Conviction within the larger context. This is already a very niche that naysayers will call "soulless", and while I do find plenty of soul to be felt here rather than a mere exercise, I think the appeal would be largely among the crowd who do prefer their guitars noodly and their riffing angular. Thirty minutes of it though, that's not a test of endurance even for the ones outside the crowd.






Written on 16.06.2024 by Doesn't matter that much to me if you agree with me, as long as you checked the album out.


Comments

Comments: 6   Visited by: 68 users
16.06.2024 - 20:15
Ivor
Staff
I remember listening to these guys some 20 odd years ago and I couldn't much stomach them back then. I'm not sure my taste in music has changed enough to reconsider my verdict. Think I should give them a try again?

I.
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16.06.2024 - 20:25
Rating: 7
musclassia
Staff
Written by Ivor on 16.06.2024 at 20:15

I remember listening to these guys some 20 odd years ago and I couldn't much stomach them back then. I'm not sure my taste in music has changed enough to reconsider my verdict. Think I should give them a try again?

I.

I can stomach small amounts of what Radu describes as 'Colin Marston metal', and I turned off this album within a couple of minutes due to finding it really grating, so I would be surprised if it's going to cause an about-turn in your opinion of the band, but I guess you can't rule it out
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16.06.2024 - 20:59
Ivor
Staff
Written by musclassia on 16.06.2024 at 20:25

I turned off this album within a couple of minutes due to finding it really grating

I figure that's about enough of a confirmation I need. I'm not in a habit of tasting tomato juice every second year to reaffirm that I still hate it...

I.
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25.06.2024 - 12:51
Rating: 7
musclassia
Staff
Went back and gave it a fuller try - it was initially quite tough to handle, but it definitely softens up the further it goes on, particularly when getting to the spacey ambient prog of No Breath After Beauty; the Cynic comparisons feel very apt there
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12.09.2024 - 22:07
Rating: 9
MetalManic
I really wanted to dismiss this album upon first listen, but instinctively continued to give this more chances than expected. Now, each time I listen, I wish it were a bit longer. Even after questioning myself as to why I continue to listen, upon that intro to the first track , I feel like switching to something else, but am always rewarded by forging ahead.
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12.09.2024 - 22:25
Rating: 9
MetalManic
Written by musclassia on 25.06.2024 at 12:51

Went back and gave it a fuller try - it was initially quite tough to handle, but it definitely softens up the further it goes on, particularly when getting to the spacey ambient prog of No Breath After Beauty; the Cynic comparisons feel very apt there

I also get Markus Steffen (Sieges Even; Subsignal) feels with the bright clean guitar tones. Or, even a stripped down Mithras
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