Dissonati: Reductio Ad Absurdum

Seattle based quartet Dissonati packs quite a punch on Reductio Ad Absurdum. With swirling motifs, involving chord progressions, and intriguing timbres, the album is full of progressive rock flair; however, the overall sound feels a bit dull and amateurish, as well as devoid of truly original ideas. It's a valiant effort, but it doesn't really measure up to the standard set by many of the group's contemporaries.

Opener "Can You Hear Me" begins, well, dissonantly with ominous and eerie countermelodies juxtaposed by industrial percussion and a prophetic mantra. Afterward, the track ventures into new territory every so often, including some fancy guitar work and a central keyboard riff that recalls bands like IQ and Eloy. Unfortunately, the track (and album) is brought down by stale songwriting and a lifeless vocalist; in fact, he sounds more like an elderly news anchor than like a rock singer.

As for the rest of the album, there are interesting flourishes throughout, such as the very cool jam in the middle of "Age of Foeces" and the inviting interlocking of "Senescence." "Driver" incorporates some rhythmic shifts that evoke Phil Collins during Genesis' prime, while album closer "The Sleeper" fills its fourteen minutes with plenty of heavy riffs and start/stop trickery, as if combining elements of Dream Theater and Yes. While these aspects are enjoyable enough, they don't make up for the fact that Reductio Ad Absurdum feels quite limited in terms of both scale and variety.

Overall, Dissonati shows a lot of potential on this release, but the lack of any fully realized ideas and a decent singer make it feel like a third rate entry in a genre still thriving with brilliant music. There are bits and pieces of valuable techniques scattered around, but the majority of it is lackluster to say the least. Hopefully the band can come with up more original and vital songwriting next time, as well as a vocalist worthy of delivering it.

Track Listing

1) Can You Hear Me?
2) Middle Man
3) Age of Foeces
4) Mindwrap
5) Senescence
6) Driver
7) The Sleeper

Added: June 19th 2013
Reviewer: Jordan Blum
Score:
Related Link: Official site
Hits: 1576
Language: english

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