Distorted Harmony
Chain Reaction

LA RECENSIONE

The Distorted Harmony are a progressive group of 5 Israelis, who after Utopia (2012) released Chain Reaction in 2014, a truly well-executed and exciting progressive album.

The beginning is not the best, with "Every Time She Smiles," a track that does not excel and is decidedly subdued and banal compared to the rest of the album. With "Children Of Red" and especially with "Misguided," things improve significantly, with the guitars (Guy Landau) sometimes in the background and then immediately after in the foreground. The Dream Theater-esque keyboards by Yoyan Efron in "Misguided" (the album's quality peak) are good, also the author of the lyrics. The singer Misha Soukhin already expresses himself much better and his voice varies more.

The keyboard and guitar solos and also the background of drums and electric bass are with technique but not without heart.

After the instrumental interlude with the keyboards in the foreground "Nothing But the Rain," "As One" begins, a symphonic prog metal track with excellent music except for the unconvincing chorus. I note the good conclusion of "As One," with the metal guitar gradually slowing down and the djent drums.

"Hollow" after about ten seconds of piano, presents sounds between djent, metalcore (vaguely) and neoprogressive: better than the opener but worse than the beautiful "Misguided."

Punctually, the acoustic ballad arrives: "As You Go" is a track close to good but not great alternative pop since it's somewhat predictable.

"Natural Selection" and "Methylene Blue" are the excellent conclusion, balanced between commercial and experimental, between progressive, alternative and djent, of an album generally good but not great. Distorted Harmony is a neoprogressive reality that offers hopes for the future of this genre, but there are moments of the album where the band feels too much of the already heard.