ENOUGH BLAME TO GO AROUND

Enough Blame To Go Around is the latest release by American duo Disconnect (so named owing to the physical distance that separates them) of Erich O'Dell and Brian Eschrich. I thoroughly enjoyed the predecessor album, Indivision, so was rather looking forward to this release, which the boys have kindly made available to us at PA to review.

Whilst Indivision contained more than a dose of symphonic sounds amongst the obvious Rush influences, this new release takes them very much into heavier prog territory, so much so that I would alert fans of acts such as said Canadian trio and latter-day Crimson to give this one a spin.

There are only five tracks here, but given that the shortest track runs in at over eight & a half minutes, you certainly get your buck's worth.

It opens with Adventures in Taxidermy, which is another contender for track title of 2012. This is a dark and heavy piece of music, very much led by the lyrics therein. It is very complex in parts, although I might add that this track (unlike all others) sounds a little bit thin on the downloaded version of the album I have. Perhaps this is not evident on the CD, I don't know. I love the guitar solo mid-passage, and Eschrich is on top form on the drums. My only problem with the tracks is the "technically assisted" vocals, which sound rather monotone to me. It is, however, overall a strong start, and the synth led end is superb leading to a rather sinister denouement.

Inside Job is an instrumental track, and has the influence of Crimson written all over it. It is a very enjoyable and very well performed slab of instrumental heavy prog, and most definitely takes forward the dark mood of the opening track, with some very heavy sections which combine interesting synths and riffs very well. An excellent track.

This takes us into Falling Man, which is 9/11 wrought in music and lyrics. From the opening newscast samples of the shocking events, backed by a mournful middle eastern sound, you realise straight away that you are not in for a barrel of laughs. But don't let that put you off, because this is the album's tour de force, and by far the duo's finest recorded piece, and that, by the way, takes it close to masterpiece territory. The production is crystal clear throughout, and I far prefer the "clean" vocals here to the opener. It is a very complex piece of music running in at over 17 minutes long, and will very clearly appeal to those who, like me, think that the mid period Rush is that band's best. Essential for all heavy/metal progheads, it also includes some lovely melodic passages, and puts across very clearly the trauma, emotions, and conflicting views the world has of that dreadful day. Quite superb.

Sufficient has a nice middle eastern flavour at its opening section, which takes us into the main section which I feel is the most overtly accessible track on the album, with a very pleasing rhythm and passages which, again, put me in mind of 1980's Crimson. The guitar solos by O'Dell are utterly top notch, and, indeed, his playing is a true highlight of the album as a whole. A very good, solid, track.

The final track is Twisting The Knife, and also the longest at almost 19 minutes in length. There are, as you would expect, a plethora of changing moods and tempos in such a long track, but I especially appreciated the melodic passages which are more to the fore, whilst the heavier passages also carry more than a touch of Gilmour & Floyd influenced riffs. Lyrically, I take this to be a revenge piece, or even a simple murder of a former loved one, and there seems to be more than a bit of pleasure taken by the protagonist. So, dark it is again, and reaffirms in the heavier moments the direction the duo are taking, but also has a an awful lot for those who enjoy the more melodic side of prog to enjoy. The end is suitably epic, with some lovely synths overlaying a great riff.

So then, here we have an outfit whose growing numbers of admirers will find themselves extremely pleased by this release. It is not the sound of an act standing still, but, rather, one who is looking to strive forward and progress their sound, in this case to a heavier feel. The album is never less than excellent musically, and the dark nature will appeal to those who appreciate the emotion and power progressive rock music can bring.

I rated the last album 3.5 stars (if we had such a rating), rounded up to four. Well, this one gets the clear four star rating, an excellent album which I can wholeheartedly recommend.