Dissona - Dissona [2012]

Remember when I said Eumeria was the American metal band to watch? Well, I wouldn't quite ignore those guys yet, but for the time being, Dissona has stolen my immediate attention and the crown for modern progressive metal. A weathered entity already, this group has been traversing the past decade in the underground while making little impact. That ends with the release of Dissona, the band's first full-length release and a shining jewel of near perfect melodic music.

The band walks a fine line between outright technicality and subtle prog touches. This is mostly achieved through the excellent guitar-playing, alternating between heavy riffs and an intricacy always elegant. Acoustic sections are utilized here and there, adding a bit of melancholic beauty to the mix; the occasional solo isn't half bad, either. Some creative and quirky elements are thrown in as well, including (but not limited to) an interesting flamenco-influenced passage near the end of opening track "Inverted Swarm" and pretty much all of the circus-like "Eccentress," an absorbing song with a title indicative of its contents and one of my favorites on the entire album. Dissona knows how to go epic, too, utterly dumbfounding with the far-reaching and slowly flowing "Avella." No strict structures necessary, just seven minutes of freeform mastery.

Dream Theater this isn't, however. These guys don't rely on half-hour lectures of sleep-inducing boredom to get their point across. Instead, they opt for a more concise approach, striking a cohesive balance between unbridled creativity and memorable songwriting. I would be amiss not to stress how great the vocals are here. Dave Dubenic has this sort of thespian-like quality in his voice characteristic of early US power metal, adding a theatrical touch to the already mystique-driven music. They go a long way to help the tracks retain their impact and create these mesmerizing melodies that I never seem to tire of. Just see "Immersion" or the brief but unforgettable "Chrysalis" to see this man's impact on the overall sound. Sometime's he launches into straight death growls, a style that mixes best when juxtaposed with his soothing cleans. "Fawns" does just that, beginning with a somber opening before exploding into a crushing torrent of emotion.

I could go on and on talking about more of the perfectly executed subtleties on display here (like the rare female vocal line or electronic segment inserted at the just the right time), but what would be the point? I'd rather let the listener discover them for his or herself. Dissona has created one of the best American debuts in years and a triumph for independently released music, an album I've enjoyed well over a dozen times without growing tired of it in the slightest. It's a record that has just about everything I could ever hope for from a prog record without falling into the mildew-drenched prog cliches; and, as of the time of writing, it's all delivered by a virtually unknown outfit with a hundred copies in existence. A travesty. Why not a perfect score? Because I believe that maybe, just maybe, Dissona can make an even better record and really revolutionize this progressive metal thing that's been dwelling in its regressive rut of stagnancy for the past decade or so. This, however, is still essential.

Conclusion: Dissona is the biggest and best surprise of the young year so far. Buy it now and enjoy it while you still can.

   Overall: 9.25/10 (Outstanding)