CHAIN REACTION

In 2012, a young band blew me away with a debut that still lingers in my ears. Heck, my wife uses one of their songs as her ringtone. That band was Distorted Harmony, an Israeli progressive metal band with a fresh, eclectic sound. Their debut, 'Utopia', was my album of the year for 2012. So, when they announced their sophomore album, I instantly had to make a connection with them so that I could get the chance to review it.

Could my expectations be any higher? I almost feel bad for the band because there are so many people out there that have huge expectations for this new album, almost unfair expectations. And, yet, I think Distorted Harmony has met those expectations, and even exceeded them, just not in the way that anyone is expecting. Their new album is called 'Chain Reaction', and it is very different from their debut album.

Distorted Harmony has changed. They come across as more mature, more skilled, and more aware of what they want to play. Their first album leaned heavily on Dream Theater at times, but 'Chain Reaction' has thrown off that mantle almost completely. Gone are the technical (even cheesy) piano lines that Yoav Efron played with such skill, and in comes a darker, more subtler synth, though there are some piano lines that still serve a warm purpose in slower, more dramatic portions. While there is still much finger work from guitarist Guy Landau, the guitars are heavier, more stuttering, and more riff oriented. Iggy Cohen on bass has changed into a composer of funky and appropriate bass lines that are foundational to the music. Lastly, Yogev Gabay on drums may have changed the least, and that's just fine. His delicate but kinetic style abounds with flourishes and skill that I really enjoy. As a whole, the band plays furiously and their virtuosity shows, but their technical prowess comes together in such a way that they all sound like one unit, creating impressive walls of sound and also delicate reflective moments.

Vocalist Misha Soukhinin is back, and he's better than ever. His voice was somewhat controversial the first time around, as some people claimed his voice is 'too pop'. And you know what? It definitely is not a metal voice, and that is a huge compliment. His range is fantastic, his unique personality is a strong as ever, and his maturity in skill is becoming more apparent. Misha is destined to be one of the best, and, besides, he's hilarious.

Speaking of pop, though, I must point out of the biggest shifts for Distorted Harmony here is the pop and alternative influences that show themselves in catchier sections, ultra-polished grooves, raw riffing and choruses, and an accessibility that is strange for a metal album. If I had to make a comparison, I would say that this album sounds more like a metallic Muse album, complete with the soaring vocals, vocals filters, and creative instrumentals. This shift in sound is extremely welcome for me, and I'm very proud that Distorted Harmony has gone out on a limb.

'Chain Reaction' is very well paced, diverse, concise, and very deep lyrically. I feel that they really selected the best compositions they wrote, and created some very different artwork. The album starts off with one of my favorite songs of the year called 'Every Time She Smiles', an explosive, catchy track with a wonderful feel. As the album progresses, we get a great taste of all sorts of tones and sounds, from the heaviness of 'Children of Red' to the genius but groovy instrumental 'Nothing (but the rain)' and from the ballad structure of 'As You Go' to the ethereal to climactic bombast of 'Methylene Blue'. That last track is a close second on the album, as it starts out soft and surreal and progresses to an amazing instrumental climax. I must comment on the track 'Misguided', too, as it was originally released as a demo last year. The song sounds different, especially the funky little bass exercise they added towards the end. Overall, it has definitely been elevated, although some of Misha's vocals are a little less emotional.

Distorted Harmony may or may not have topped their debut. The fact is that it's really tough to decide that when 'Utopia' and 'Chain Reaction' are so different in purpose and style. For what it's worth, I think 'Chain Reaction' will be my favorite of the two, and it harks back to some of the alternative music I used to love and then combines it with some of the most technical yet purposeful progressive metal that I've heard. For what it's worth, 'Chain Reaction' is the best progressive metal album thus far in 2014.

An insurmountable task

And that would be to "overtake" the greatness of the debut album "Utopia"... The problem here is that DH have set so high a standard with their first release that any subsequent album would have to be compared with that. And this is where we start with a handicap...

Although similar in duration, "Chain Reaction" avoids the very-long-composition pattern of the debut, with the exception of "Misguided", which, interestingly enough, is the absolute highlight. Here we see more "direct" songwriting, with potentially less complexity but with an increasingly personal sound and statement. In their majority, the compositions are more predictable as they unfold but impressions such as "wall of sounds" (opening "Every Time She Smiles") and "lushful, colourful passages" ("Natural Selection") are often generated in my mind.

Misha's vocal qualities are a winner throughout this release and at times counterbalance the heavy riffs of Yoav Efron. The late-era Dream Theater influence is still apparent, especially in the chucking riffs (e.g. see "Children of Red"). The Muse influence is, I think, stronger in this release, as the band blends successfully an "indie"/pop character with the more traditional progressive metal. The melodic/catchy refrains are back but the more intricate fusion-esque playing has somewhat been reduced. The addition of a couple of "fillers" in "Nothing" and "As You Go" does not really add much to the final result but trademark compositions such as "Natural Selection" bring the balance back to the positive sign. Interestingly, the album ends with a track full of goth/synth influences in "Methylene Blue", which, without impressing, leaves the listener with a pleasant taste.

Throughout the melancholia of compositions (and accompanying, interesting, artwork) there is an aura of optimism and character. DH have developed their own sound and that should be credited to them. Despite not reaching the same heights as "Utopia", "Chain Reaction" is a strong statement for the quality and personal sound of this group.

4 (-) stars with thanks to the band for the promo

Highlights: Every Time She Smiles, Misguided, Natural Selection

You wouldn't know this band if from Israël, listening to their second album. This is progressive metal with a slight touch of djent with influences from Dream Theater and many more modern progressive metal bands. The usual big guitar riffs are present throughout this CD, but what separate this music from the average prog metal bands are their strong compositions. When the band has showed their musicianship, they open the songs up with intelligent breaks by slowing things down with more emotional content. The vocals range can go from the screaming to some smooth vocals. Behind the powerful guitar riffs, the band has incorporated some nice arrangements and delicate passages with some acoustic music from the piano and the guitars offering a nice balance between metal and rock.

An intelligent heavy prog with moderated use of the elements that often make metal music too abrasive for my senses. In this I would compare them to Tool, Karnivool, Proghma-C, and even Haken and Muse in their ability to salvage sensitivity and melody within their music.

1. "Every Time She Smiles" (6:46) Stylistically and vocally this song almost could have come off of FREDDEGREDDE's Brighter Skies album. It even has quite a few attributes of the music coming from Indie-pop band COLDPLAY or maybe MUSE. Nice. (9/10)

2. "Children of Red" (5:08) There is a heavier, more metallic musical foundation to this one, yet their are still parts (mostly vocally) that remind me of COLDPLAY--at least until the growl-vocals at the end of the third minute. Then it reverts back to the more Indie-pop style choral vocals. Back to machine gun kick drum-led metal sound before fading delicately. A bit incongruous. (7/10)

3. "Misguided" (8:30) opens with some layered, multi-insturmental presentation of an engaging melodic riff before settling into a song that sounds straight from HAKEN's Vision album. Then around 1:35 a cool multiple chord bridge takes us into another FREDDEGREDDE-like section. The first exposition of the chorus at 2:20 reminds me of KARNIVOOL. A nice FROST*-like instrumental midsection ends with some awesome lead guitar blending into screaming voice (treated) and keyboard before returning to the chorus. This one is a keeper. (9/10)

4. "Nothing (But the Rain) (2:16) is a very nice, melodic keyboard- and industrial sound-based instrumental interlude that builds on a repetitive chord progression into a quick climax. (10/10)

5. "As One" (5:48) begins softly with treated guitar and keys before the full band comes kicking in. At the one minute mark a "normal" vocal enters over some straightforward though heavier Indie rock sound. Chorus and later vocal sections are heavier and treated with effects. The number of tempo and style changes is again reminiscent of "quick change artist" FREDDEGREDDE, though the music is more similar to HAKEN. Cool song. (9/10)

6. "Hollow" (6:07) opens with some gentle, emotional, slowly strummed electric guitar and piano chords. How deceiving! All hell breaks loose at 0:44 with a creeping, haunting insistent heavy sound. The "I am the wave..." section only adds to this unsettled feeling. A very cool song with all kinds of sonic incidentals to surprise and/or distract you. Super high pitch fret-tapping guitar solo blasts its way in at 3:44. Wow! The three sections of the chorus return but with all balls out--to great effect. Great finish à la PROGHMA-C. (10/10)

7. "As You Go" (3:12) sounds like a nice MOON SAFARI or RPWL song. A nice break from the heaviness before (and to follow). (8/10)

8. "Natural Selection" (5:14) begins with an aggression that belies its melodic vocal sections. Kind of LINCOLN PARK-like in its two-facedness (even the "it doesn't matter" lyric!) The band seems like it's kind of draping a couple songs together into one. Again, FROST*s Experiments in Mass Appeal come to mind here: too much being compacted into five minutes. (7/10)

9. "Methylene Blue" (7:43) opens with a synth arpeggio repeating itself. Gentle almost whispered vocal enters soon. At 1:25 the voice moves up an octave as other instruments begin to join in. At 2:10 a piano-based section takes over for a bit. Gentle NOSOUND-like treated vocal begins. Very pretty section. Very sensitive and emotional--dreamy. At 3:50 the full band kicks in for "Praise the sun before she goes away" lyric. Electric guitar solo bridges between another louder, more aggressive section. Then, at the five minute mark, a drum-led staccato odd timed section ensues. Wonderful to hear the band weave their way in and out of this rhythmically complicated section. Just as suddenly it all drops out and we are restored to the piano arpeggios beneath the plaintive treated voice singing "Methylene blue. I am sorry for killing you" over a few time till the song's end. Great tune! Feels like it should be accompanied by a sci-fi video (like KARNIVOOL's awesome "We Are.") (10/10)

Probably my favorite prog metal/heavy prog album of the year (I eventually find one or two). Fully worth four stars and more. Excellent instrumentalists playing some awesomely complex and yet engaging and beautiful music--all topped off with a great vocalist. Great job, guys! Your future is bright! I, for one, will be watching!

Israeli band DISTORTED HARMONY was formed in 2009 by keyboardist Yoav Efron and drummer Yogev Gabay, and in the next two years they gradually assembled the remaining members of the band. Just one year after they had a complete combo assembled they released their debut album "Utopia", initially as a free digital production, but later issued as a more traditional CD as well. "Chain Reaction" is their sophomore album, self-released by the band in 2014.

Distorted Harmony comes across as a band in full development to create their very own take on progressive metal, operating out from a fundament based on the Dream Theater school of progressive metal, liberally flavoring their quirky take on that style with elements from both indie rock and later day progressive rock. The end result on this occasion is a solid, strong and extremely well made album, a high-quality example of progressive metal that should have a broad appeal to most who enjoy the genre and probably a bit beyond as well.