STRUCTURAL DISORDER

Farewell to the Old

Structural Disorder, Swedish progressive metal outfit since 2011, announced their disbanding late 2018.

They promised one final hurrah.

This is it.

Kingdom Crossing

Here's an extended track, all twenty-three minutes and change of it, that sends Structural Disorder off in style, after producing three full albums and now two EP-length releases.

Grand style. Searching style. In ways that gladden my heart, yet sadden it as well- because here we have an excellent example of progressive metal that is thoughtful, tasteful, wise, and highly listenable.

No Time for Wankery

Opening with eerie, melancholy keyboards (provided by digital accordion aficionado Jóhannes West), we're introduced by the gentle and reflective vocals of Markus Tälth to the themes in this release- transcendence, the crossing of kingdoms/empires/patriarchy, blood and grit and savagery of life beneath the brittle veneer of polite society- and the heartfelt yearning for something better to pass on to our children.

Not a moment is wasted on endless noodling, seeing how fast this one can play that lick in harmony with that lead line in counter tempo with that instrument.

Only Solid Songwriting and Playing

There certainly is a level of sophistication and fire in the musicianship here- although Hjalmar Birgersson has moved on, guitar sounds are rich and varied, from acoustic plucking and strumming, to rip-roaring riffs wide as the ocean.

The rhythm section of Karl Björk (drums) and Erik Arkö (bass) plays crisply, tautly, and intuitively to complement the music, through some changes of mood and tempo, never missing a beat.

Vocals are clean, expressive, sometimes in harmonies and octaves, always reflecting the mood of the piece.

There are several passages where flute is utilized, played by Kristine West.

Themes

As I hear this extended track, it's a passionate call for change- the Kingdom Crossing suggests to me the changing of the guard, a hand-off to a new way of living.

Lyrics challenge us to consider how far violence can take us- as individuals and as a people- how family violence drives social pain and vice-versa, and how transcendence may come in considering new ways of living.

The protagonist seems to be a battered child who runs for his life. Like countless other throwaway children he lives in the brutal, glittering, dog-eat-dog world of the soulless city and realizes he wants more.

He heads home, and holding his newborn daughter, with great longing and fear and love, dreams of better things for her than he himself could provide or even model.

Matriarchy?

Throughout this sweeping epic, I thought I got intimations that if we are collectively to survive, perhaps we need a radical change- although never is this heavy-handed.

Perhaps the patriarchy needs to be replaced. Perhaps our hopes lie in our daughters, sisters, mothers.

In conclusion

Excellent. Gripping. Grieving. Rejoicing. Brutal. Hopeful. My rating is 4 stars, a worthy farewell.

Backing bands like this was a new concept for me. I hesitated to spend money on supporting a band who were trying to fund their own album, wondering what would happen if they didn't meet their goal. But after hearing a song by Structural Disorder featuring their lead accordion played like a synthesizer(!), I decided to give my support. And I even got my name mentioned in the CD credits!

So what of this band and their second album release? At first, I simply enjoyed listening to the album once through. But by the second time, I was starting to make comparisons: Haken, Dream Theater, White Willow. These are interesting comparisons to make because they draw attention to the band's prog metal style, which resembles Dream Theater in some of the complex instrumental passages, but also Haken for the vocal harmonies and some of the more quirky parts. Structural Disorder do slow and beautiful really well too, and because of this acoustic guitar and piano inclusion in their sound, White Willow came to mind, especially in the track "Silence". The band's PA profile also mentions Pain of Salvation, Porcupine Tree, Beardfish and others. Basically, the music does a good job of heavy, covers good prog territory, isn't afraid of going slow, and makes good use of synthesizers in a heavy neo- prog kind of way. Or is it that electric accordion?

Though four members are credited with vocals, I understand that Markus Talth is the lead vocalist. His voice is clean and has a sound that contributes emotion to the songs. He sings rather well, and it's my personal observation that generally prog metal bands have better results with vocalists than other types of prog rock, namely because metal requires more power from the lead vocalist's voice.

The accordion is used very sensibly here. As another reviewer mentioned, it could be tempting to give the accordion lots of limelight and go nutso on the solos; however, the band have employed the accordion more for subtle atmosphere, as in "Silence", or for a well-placed solo with an exotic sound, as in "Someone to Save". In other places, we hear what sounds like a usual synthesizer to my ears. Keyboards are mentioned in the instrument line- up, but I wonder how much of the synthesizer sounds are actually the electric accordion. I wondered if the nature of the instrument would allow for some different synth effects but I'm afraid I cannot detect them. No matter because the solos sound great whether played on a traditional synthesizer keyboard or electric accordion.

Without going into further detail about the individual songs, I can say that I really enjoy this album throughout. There is skill and variety, it sounds terrific, and there's not a track on here that makes me flinch. Each of the seven tracks are diverse enough to be unpredictable and yet maintain the atmosphere and continuity of the album. I love the cover as well; the contrast of the warm and cool tones attracting my eye. I conclude my review by saying that Structural Disorder have produced a very fine album and it was totally worth backing the band for this production!

This, the second album from this young Swedish band has been built on solid foundations and it shows in the seven longs tracks on offer. I didn't really get on too well with this band's debut but here the song writing and production is much improved.

In addition to the usual Swedish prog metal ingredients, three things give Structural Disorder a distinct difference. The vocals of Markus Tälth have an usually soft, clean tone. This tone is enhanced by the keyboards and synths being used chiefly for atmosphere. And thirdly Structural Disorder is the band that features an accordian ? not too often, but often enough to make a difference.

An album for those who like their prog metal to be understated.

This time round, the band have fully developed their sound, showcasing their musical skills and further expanding on their obvious Scandinavian Prog influences.

Main advantage is the much better production than their debut. I must confess that the computerised drums on their first album 'The Edge of Sanity' made the whole attempt sound unconvincing. Here, however, every detail is crystal clear. Drummer Karl Björk has done extraordinary work, as he accompanies all parts with progressive rhythms and elaborate fillings.

The progress in the vocals is also astonishing! All members apart from Karl participate in the singing and have really worked hard on the CD. The band excels at their moments with multiple vocals and reminds me of PAIN OF SALVATION in their flexibility of singing parts. Also, seasoned proglisteners will appreciate the fact that there is minimal growling, all on the otherwise excellent first track 'Desert Rain'. I would like to see the band eliminate these parts completely in the future.

Special mention goes to Vocalist - Accordionist Jóhannes West. There is no standalone point crying out loud 'Look ma! We've got an accordion!' Instead, there are more restrained, sublime shades of it throughout the songs, which provide a unique sound that differentiates the band from anything else. Rock bands must understand that we aren't here for the lengthy bagpipe blast or the violin classical solos - we're here for the progmetal - and luckily STRUCTURAL DISORDER respect that!

Each one of the seven tracks on 'Distance' has something to offer - no fillers here. Longest tracks 'Silence' and 'Pyrene' are my favourites, growing from mellower parts to more progressive sections through acoustic interludes. 'Someone to Save' has an interesting middle instrumental section, influenced, it seems, by Balkan folk. 'The Herculean Tree' (what a title!) is another up-tempo moment with some major-scale soloing. Finally, album ender 'Drifting' is a beautiful short track that provides the album with the ideal epilogue.

Well guys... These days, PAIN OF SALVATION are swimming in completely different waters, while there are no news from SEVENTH WONDER, ANDROMEDA and DARKTOWER. It's a great chance for STRUCTURAL DISORDER to seize the day and take the throne of Swedish Prog Metal! If you are interested in melodic Progressive music, check this band out!

Rating: Four stars plus - next one is going to be the Masterpiece!

This review was originally written for www.justincaseradio.com

The full debut of Structural Disorder follows the very interesting EP "A Prelude to Insanity" - the similarity in the titles reveals the story that the quintet had in mind when composing the first four pieces (which are included also in this album): a story of severe psychosis, family drama and realisation, which is, at times theatrically, nicely portrayed within the 70 minutes of this album with plenty of aggressiveness and melody (when required).

The one element that defines the sound of SD is the use of electric accordion which is a welcome novelty, distinguishable in the mellow parts (see Peace of Mind and the title track) but also on the heavy syncopating songs (Rebirth, Sleep on Aripiprazol) to the point where I can honestly not say if what I hear can be produced with an electric accordion or it is the sound of keyboards (but does it really matter?). The djenty and angry character of the riffing is counterbalanced with the nostalgic appearance of the ghost of Pain of Salvation, the use of post-rock techniques (Pale Dressed Masses) and the undeniable presence of Neo-prog (especially references to IQ come in mind when listening to Corpse Candles or Peace of Mind), which altogether result in a sound energetic and uplifting, but also distinctive and diverse.

The vocal performance throughout the album I found slightly inconsistent, with passages being overly aggressive or showing signs of "crudeness", needing a bit of refining. The 70 minutes is a bit long to get through, given the complexity of some songs. Further to the 4 very strong tracks coming from the EP, I also found myself getting progressively into a few others (Corpse Candles, Pale Dressed Masses and the title track) leaving really very little room for complaints. With the exception of 2-3 songs, this would be a truly exceptional record, which still deserves about 3.5 stars.

Looking forward to some more of this innovative approach.

Little is known about this Swedish progressive metal band. "A Prelude to Insanity" is their debut EP and consists of four very interesting, somewhat different to each other and full-of-energy compositions. A distinct element of their sound is the use of the electric accordion, which, to my ears, sounds like high-pitched keyboards with either a neo-prog or hammond-like "taste". Its use is instantly evident in the opening, polyrhythmic metal track Rebirth, where the constant soloing over the rhythm section proves to be a "lifting" combination. Peace of Mind is somewhat different, with the first half being devoted to a melodic, slow intro and the second half developing in a neo-symphonic (!) piece boasting about its IQ influence - no metal here but a purely progressive rock composition.

Sleep on Aripripazol behaves as a more representative prog-metal track with mid-tempo riffs and key soloing, resembling to the big names of the scene, such as Dream Theater; mid-way through it shifts to more heavy-prog, but also oriental, patterns that keep the interest high. The album concludes with The Fallen which sounds heavily influenced by Pain of Salvation on the one hand, but also by later Porcupine Tree/Opeth on the other, especially on the resulting ambiences. However, it rarely falls into the trap of imitation and keeps a fairly original character.

The variance in the vocals, ranging from clean, classic prog-rock type to brutal, adds extra points to this effort. Overall, this EP has surprised me positively and should appeal to fans of the aforementioned bands; the blend of influences produces a dynamic, "fresh" result which deserves no less than 3.5 stars.