Power of Metal.dk Review

Schysma
Imperfect Dichotomy
Rating
 
Style: Progressive Metal
Release date: September 2012
Playing time: 28:18
 

Schysma. What an interesting name; and, according, to the band, it is representative of the type of music they play. They want to come across as eclectic; as a divided (in genre) group that has come together to create something far bigger than any one of them. The question is: Did they accomplish this task?

I think Schysma has mostly reached their lofty goals in their debut EP “Imperfect Dichotomy”. First of all, I have to comment on the concept at play here. The EP is about the imperfect dichotomy inherent in the relationship between the soul and the mind. This is quite an observation, and the whole EP explores the lives of various people as they struggle with their spiritual side. Great concept.

On the musical side of things, however, things are not as perfectly generated. The band represents a wide variety of genres, but they basically end up sounding like a mash-mash of wonderful industrial keys with a modernized Dream Theater style prog metal. They do mix things up with some ethnic passages, and the music is generally pretty interesting. The male vox are mostly clean with a bit of growling here and there, and are surprisingly good. All of this comes together rather well, but I feel that a few tracks sort of lose their way. They meander along without much purpose, almost as if they had to find some filler to make the songs longer. I especially feel this way about the track “Noise of Silence”. Other tracks, like “Lost in the Maze” and “Migdal” are extremely well composed and quite original. So, what we end up having is an inconsistent mix of 5-star tracks and 2- or 3-star tracks. This, however, is to be expected from a debut album.

Overall, this band screams “interesting”. Even their promo photos and production are very cool, and I really appreciate their style. The music needs to catch up with the band’s ambitions; and, when (not if) it does, I will be there to cheer them. This is a great EP that really promises some great music in the future.


Tracklist
01. Lost in the Maze
02.
Noise of Silence
03.
Migdal
04.
Supreme Solution
05.
Sinners
 
Label: Optiasso Records
Distribution: Optiasso Records
Artwork rating: 80/100
Reviewed by: Jason Spencer
Date: 13 April, 2013
Website: www.schysma.com