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No Interference ::
1.
Less than a year after the release of their
debut CD 'Contradiction' the Philadelphian instrumental trio return to
the crème de la crème of instrumental excitement with 'No
Interference'. After listening to the eleven songs it is soon clear that
the trio has grown to be more coherent. The improved production reveals
that most of the songs are more compact and streamlined than on 'Contradiction'.
With a more transparent and confronting production, the use of multiple
guitar tracks results in a modern and rich sound. Once again the compositions
cover a vast range of musical styles. The vibrant opener "Body destroyed,
Brain intact" immediately alerts all the known senses sounding like a
cross between VoiVod, WatchTower and whatever progressive music has emerged
over the years. Although a recognizable style has been developed, versatility
is a key factor in the music. "Craving for Transformation" reminds me
of Motorpsycho, while "Let you fall" and "Psychic Desolation" are more
ambient perhaps even new age indulgences, on the other hand "Nutritional
Facelift" and "Slumlord" are more metallic. "No Interference" comes in
a deluxe digi-pack with one flaw: the song titles are not listed anywhere
else than on the CD itself. A positive aspect of the music is that, although
it's complex and challenging, it's neither self-indulgent not pretentious
but retains a certain degree of heaviness that will appeal to progressive
metal fans as well. Dysrhythmia is certainly becoming my favorite instrumental
band of the moment and 'No Interference' is a release that is not to be
missed.
(CR) - Edge of Time (Lithuania)
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
2. Progressive rock is certainly not everybody's cup of tea, especially
if it kept instrumentally. But then Dysrhythmia from Philadelphia are
not your everyday progressive rock band. Formed in Philadelphia in 1999,
Dysrhythmia already released two CDs, of which 'No Interference' is the
second. As a three-piece, they only use guitar, bass and drums. All three
instruments get the same attention, which is mostly because of the great
talent of those involved, but partly also because of the egalitarian production
which makes it possible to hear all instruments at the same volume. The
guitar sounds at times like King Crimson in transition from 'Red' to 'Discipline',
whereas the bass guitar adds more to the music than just basic rhythms
(or dysrhythms). All is emphasized by the very jazzy drums which make
their overall sound totally different from 99% of prog metal bands. In
times where instrumental prog metal bands like Gordian Knot and Spastic
Ink put new life into the stagnating genre, a bands like Dysrhythmia shows
that they can go even further. Although they are never as daring as the
two aforementioned bands, Dysrhythmia's music seems to have a lot more
influences, which range from metal to punk, noise to ambient and alternative
to funk, all enclosed in a tight prog dress of course. Songs like the
rocking 'Nutritional Facelift' or the opening 'Body Destroyed, Brain Intact'
are the most representative songs on the album, but it is gems like the
Sonic Youth influenced 'Craving For Transformation', the long and ambient
'Let You Fall' and most of all the alternatively stomping 'Slumlord' which
make every new listening attempt a true adventure where you will discover
details that make the album ever more precious.
I admit it, this is no easy listening, and the band name Dysrhythmia reveals
that clearly enough, but if you are willing to invest some time in to
this nearly one-hour-long CD, you will get rewarded many times the price
of investment.
Pascal Thiel - Disagreement Online (US)
9 out of 10 stars
3. "That sounds like an affliction: Locals Dysrhythmia will whip
up an off-kilter, off-balance afternoon set in celebration of their new
No Interference album. The local trio’s name means "a disturbance of rhythm,
as of speech patterns or brain waves"; it’s quite befitting of their confounding
fusion of speed metal thrust and nimble jazziness." Brain Howard - Philadelphia
City Paper
4."Who are Dysrhythmia and why are they playing amped-up avant
garde instrumental prog-metal jazz? I don't know, but I sure hope they'll
keep doing it. This local trio have made the record Sonic Youth would
make if they cared more about heavy metal, the record Slayer would do
if they were art-school nerds. In the best sections, quick-changing rhythms
quickley lose the listener in their arcane logic; the head that wanted
to nod to the beat is forced instead to jerk confusedly from side to side.
The grinding guitar lines, referencing and commenting on the technical
virtuosity of both metal and jazz guitarists, race about doubled forcefully
by an insistent electric bass, never quite completing one melodic trajectory
before cutting off and thinking of another one. Meanwhile the accomplished
drummer is going apeshit, and I mean that in the best possible way. 'No
Interference' contains a handful of less-ambitious tracks, well-played,
rhythmically complex instrumental rock songs. But even these usually include
a headbanging section in the middle that cuts off your head mid-bang.
And that's the fun of it." Sara Marcus - Philadelphia City Paper
5. "Dysrhythmia earns its name with an album that comes on fast
and loud, full of instrumental rock that intricately shifts and pokes
at sound, time and meter. The rhythm section of bassist Clayton Ingerson
and drummer Jeff Eber (who've done time in local bands Ivylabs and Grey
Division Blue, respectively) [Jeff did not play in grey division blue
- K.H.] lay down the dysrhythmic, if you will, foundation, by which
Kevin Hufnagel lends guitar leads of various speeds and Zoom-effects alteration,
centered around heavy, jazzy rhythms that split into virtuosity of noise
solos just as easily as droning New Agey ambience. Swinging from slow
lounge influence to metal riffing and spacey Laser Floyd noodling to the
straight- forward thrash that characterizes "Body Destroyed, Brain Intact"
and "We Lead the Way," No Interference, the band's second disc, usurps
from the lands of punk, metal and jazzy experimentation, and lovingly
adheres to none of them long enough to create anything more than some
sort of hyperactive free rock. And like a true power trio, they save the
best for last. With "Four, Five, Six Minutes Late," the final track that
clocks in at just under two minutes, Dysrhythmia manage to throw every
little bit of trickery they toy with throughout the disc into one swift
and sinister speed spasm, giving a quick and easy introductory synopsis."
Ryan Seuffert - Philadelphia Weekly
6. "Killer teched-out math rock from Philadelphia.
It's all here: Lightly distorted guitars, treble-heavy and defined bass,
tons of complex changes and odd timings, progressive rock and jazz influences,
I could go on and on… Dysrhythmia is an instrumental trio of very talented
musicians, capable of pulling off a balance between technical prowess,
melodic passages, experimentation, etc. I like the recording, everything
is evenly spread out with clarity. The only obnoxious production elements
are a few lead guitar breaks that are mixed funny. Sometimes the dissonance
and layering of stringed instruments can be a mess, but the drumming is
always fluid and exceptionally interesting, thus holding down structures.
With 11 tracks, some as long as 10+ minutes, the total running time can
be an issue because it's just a bit much for one sitting. However, the
shortcomings are minimal and the huge variety of influences helps. This
is a very intriguing project that has a lot to offer. Of course, certain
aspects bring to mind Atheist or even Anacrusis, though it is important
to stress that this is in no way a metal record. Not even close, in fact.
Fans of experimental and progressive instrumental music with improvisational
tendencies should enjoy this." 7/10 - aversionline (US)
7. "Superb second album from this Philadelphia trio finds them
tighter, heavier, more proficient, proggier. Instrumental madness highly
recommended to fans of King Crimson's freer moments. Killing stuff!" Ken
Golden - Laser's Edge (US)
8. "Really cool, instrumental post-rock /metal with lots of super
complex playing and weird jazzy-ish bits. Definitely check it out if you're
into Don Caballero, Bozart, The (Fucking) Champs, etc." - aquarius
records (US)
9. "Those who bought their incredible debut kinda know what to
expect from this new one. Heavy fusion of rock & jazz elements, amazing
guitar work and tunes full of surprises & twists. If your tastes run
to instrumental fusion you should not miss this fine group!" - ZNR
records (US)
10. "Almost one year after the great debut "Contradiction", Dysrhythmia
are back with "No Interference" and once again prove themselves to be
one of the more interesting acts in the instrumental-prog scene, at least
on the same level with San Francisco's Maximum Indifference. Once again,
this is a completely instrumental CD, luckily devoided of self indulgent
soloisms and pure technical exhibitionism. The band has even developed
on the composition side: "Contradiction" was a record full of energy,
recorded in an almost live setting and frequently jumping in many different
directions; this new album is much more coherent and compact, perhaps
more meditated, but with lots of originality and unpredictability. Major
use of studio technology (overdubs, some sampling?, a wide palette of
sounds) helps creating richer and more elaborate sounds, powered by a
great production. This time bassist Clayton Ingerson's work is really
shining through, his playing is never banal, just listen to him in "Circulatory
System Overload" and "Orbiting". The band is having fun in moving in all
directions, chasing in the CD's 11 songs many different musical themes,
but always keeping inside a well defined and personal sound. In my opinion,
the strength of "No Interference" lies in the title track (full of strange
hooks and with a great solo), the aggressive side of "Slumlord" and "Nutritional
Facelift", the instrumental overlappings in "We Lead the Way" and finally
the dreamy and spacey 10 minutes of "Let You Fall", which opens new ways
of expression for the three musicians in the band.
It's not easy listening music, and it keeps defying conventions: Dysrhythmia
are on the forefront in their own genre and I hope this disc gets better
distribution also here in Europe. If you're looking for something really
more than your average prog (metal?), ask for this record, it's going
to satisfy all your hunger for experimentation." Lorenzo Capellini - Stargazer
(Italy)
11. " Ooh lala!!! Already the predecessor "Contradiction" was a
nice surprise, but "no interference" tops enormously the high standards
set on the first one. Yet the musical variety remained the same: Jazz
Metal, Progressive Rock, Post Rock, Short Punk shreds and avantgardistic
passages meet each other in an uncomplicated and jolly way in 50 fine
minutes. The three musicians work their soul out of their bodies. On the
one hand they play with boisterous violence, on the other hand steep sensibly
quiet notes into sounds. Constructed atonal outbursts change into tenderly
plucked melodies. The dominance of harsh disharmonies alternates with
harmonically weaved webs. And there is always this technically abstract
and masterly working group standing in the foreground. The music pieces
have names indeed, but that does not matter. Customary conceptions (even
of strong rock music) have to learn hearing anew with Dysrhythmia. The
fact, that these musicians put together for showing the world their unique
styles, I can only thank for. I´m enthusiastic about it!" Volkmar
Mantei - Ragazzi (Germany)
12. 8 out of 10 - Metal Hammer (Greece)
13. "Second album and altogether more cohesive as a unit with absolutely
impeccable production and writing throughout. The rough edges are gone
to be
replaced with a series of intricate, powerful numbers that bring out the
best
in the band as a whole, with the electric bass really pounding and upfront
in
the mix, while the drums sound a lot crisper, more resonant and solid.
But
the electric guitar work just soars, sizzles, smolders, sparks and drives,
with every composition revealing new layers, tones, chords progressions,
time
signatures and a quite phenomenal set of instrumental writing & playing
on
display. Whether it's powerful riffing or storm-force electric guitar
soling,
this band has captured the feel and heart of erstwhile jamming rock style
brews, kept it tight and in check, come up with an album that even manages
to
blow the first one away (not an easy task), as the guitar shimmers and
shines
throughout a variety of vari-paced, largely incredibly powerful but in
a
dynamic manner, melodic and crunchy compositions - the missing link between
rock, jamming, fusion and beyond. All in all, yet another completely
indispensable album of outstanding, forceful guitar work yet which isn't
just
rock or fusion, or some convenient mix of the two, but stands up in its
own right as
breathtaking guitar work for the whole feel and mood of the tracks let
alone
the almost telepathic nature on which the trio flies." - CD Services
(Scotland)
14. "Dysrhythmia is a Pennsylvania based instrumental trio and
no interference is one amazing instrumental record. On the heels
of their debut, Contradiction, no interference is the work
of some incredibly talented musicians, guitarist Kevin Hufnagel, bassist
Clayton Ingerson, and drummer Jeff Eber. no interference is a well
rounded disc. Songs range from two to fifteen minutes and Dysrhythmia
manage to energize and amaze listeners with their virtuosity. This is
one of the easiest instrumental groups to listen to as they show their
chops in song oriented structures. The sound is clean and the production
is perfect for this music. It is easy to hear what each guy is doing on
their respective instruments. I'm not exactly sure what style of music
Dysrhythmia play, although fans of progressive to jazz to metal could
probably enjoy this. This is a nice counterpart to Derek Sherinian's Inertia."
- Transcending the Mundane (US)
90/100
15. "Dysrhythmia is a young trio out of Philadelphia, masticating
freeform metal spunk and prog rock instrumentals and spitting them out
in a wad of energy that's viscous, pulsating, and complex. 'No Interference'
is the band's second release, and it lashes out like an unwarranted kick,
jacked up on this white-hot anger.
Tracks like 'Body Destroyed, Brain Intact' and 'Craving For Transformation'
lunge and return, the guitars of Kevin Hufnagel and Clayton Ingerson and
Jeff Eber's drums stretching out and stopping in a matter of seconds.
They spin off and go in unexpected directions like a flock of birds scattered
by a shotgun blast. The air is filled with an angular, jazzy ruckus, only
to suddenly break for silence. And then the trio regroups, with Hufnagel
in the lead, erupting into the wild spasm of a speed-metal guitar solo.
Other tracks are simply hammers with every ear a nail. 'Nutritional Facelift'
is one such bludgeon - the instruments are aggressive and in perfect alignment.
By the time a loose, improvisational feel interrupts the flow, you're
left catching your breath rather than paying attention. It's music that
will cause fans of Buckethead and Don Caballero to salivate.
However, Dysrhythmia also knows when to lay low. 'No Interference' is
almost cut in two by the 10-minute 'Let You Fall'. Depending on your point
of view, it's a track that's either peaceful or apprehensive. It
begins with only Ingerson's bass, calling out notes to itself, standing
in the wake of their own deliberate decay. A minute and a half pass before
Hufnagel and Eber start a dialogue with Ingerson. The piece slowly builds,
the instruments take more chances in reaching out to each other and the
listener, but even with the addition of these two voices, the mood remains
somber and aching.
If much of the point of rock 'n' roll is to tell a story, to hit on a
point through a narrative or an emotional push, then the purpose of Dysrhythmia's
music is to simply skip the plot and get lost. 'No Interference' is the
kind of disc in which you sit back and listen, and every once in a while
you ask yourself where the hell you are, like getting in a car and driving
without bothering to look at street signs. But the best part is that you
don't really care - the ride is too much of a gas." Michael W.- motion
(UK)
16. "This young, Philadelphia-based trio of Jeff Eber (drums),
Kevin Hufnagel (guitar) and Clayton Ingerson (bass) takes us through a
winding, rolling, smoldering trek of 11 textural explorations with varying
intensity. No Interference is such an enjoyable and unique blend
of rock, jazz, avant-garde and metal that the near-total absence of melody
is but an afterthought.
These guys can seamlessly groove from lurching, dissonance-drenched workouts
("Body Destroyed, Brain Intact", "Nutritional Facelift") into psych-y,
quasi-ambient realms (the 11-minute "Let You Fall"). The feel here
is what grabs you: It's obvious that Eber, Hufnagel and Ingerson have
embraced the concept of reaching for emotional expression over pure chopzilla
- a smart and not always easy choice, especially when you've got the talent.
Who once said it's the quiet spaces between notes that matter most?
There's a lot of musical wisdom to that observation, one which Dysrhythmia
knows something about. Remember the late, great Boud Deun? If you liked
their work, you'll enjoy No Interference." John Collinge
- Progression Magazine (US)
13 of 16 stars
17. "The spirit of progressive rock is alive and well in Philadelphia's
Dysrhythmia. Even the instrumental trio's name is a not-so-thinly veiled
reference to its tricky time shifts and odd meters. As in any good prog,
Dysrhythmia's dynamic rises and falls, and few passages stay in one place
for very long. When the band gets rowdy, both punk and metal influences
are clear; the softer end of the spectrum is marked by ambient guitar
lines and the occasional dash of funky syncopation. Drummer Jeff Eber
answers the music's call by knowing when to blast off and when to lay
back. He's not one to rip double bass fills over a ballad just because
he can. At the same time, he crisply executes fast and furious licks during
the band's many unison figures with a knack for inventive orchestration."
Michael Parillo - Modern Drummer (US)
18. "Two-year old Philadelphia trio Dysrhythmia play like they
were born with instruments in their hands and time signatures in their
genes. On their second CD, No Interference, the all-instrumental group
merge noise with metal, punk with jazz and technique with soul, landing
somewhere between '90s math-rock titans Breadwinner and early SST Records
oddballs like Saccharine Trust. And like those bands, Dysrhythmia navigate
the hard road between experimentation (e.g., wild, difficult arrangements)
and self-indulgence (e.g., noodly, effects-processed solos). There's an
overall tidiness to No Interference's mix-as if the trio were plugging
straight into the boards-that gives the album an anal-retentive "progressive"
edge; but such foibles aren't unusual for an ambitious band still working
out their kinks. Given a bigger budget (or an engineer with better ears)
these guys could be unstoppable." Aaron Burgess - Alternative Press
(US)
19. "Dysrhythmia are an all-instrumental trio from Philadelphia
consisting of Kevin Hufnagel (guitars),
Clayton Ingerson (bass) and Jeff Eber (drums). No Interference
is the band's second release following
their 2000 debut, Contradiction. The first I heard of this band
was when I came across a review
of this very album which described the music played as "the record Sonic
Youth would make if
they cared more about heavy metal, the record Slayer would do if they
were art-school nerds".
With such an intriguing comparison, I felt that such as band was definitely
worth investigating!
Musically speaking the band
play a calculated style of progressive metal that is very dependant on
the utilization of a strong
rhythmic approach. Being a trio, the main means of creating diverse
sounds falls to the guitar
antics of Hufnagel which are extremely varied. At times the mass of
distortion does tend to get
out of hand whilst at others the nifty individual picking and open chords
on tracks such as "Orbiting"
help create an aura of bliss.
Mention has to be made of
the supporting rhythm created by bass and drums. Clayton Ingerson
seizes every possible moment
to drive his bass off with mesmerizing runs and licks giving the
sound a much needed break
from the guitar barrage coming the listener's way. Take "Circulatory
System Overhaul" and "Orbiting"
for example where the bass simply runs off out of control and an extremely
impressive pace. However one must also realize that this band is not just
about speed, the precision
with which they play, the tightness of the band as well as the way everything
seems to be calculated
shows that this trio are well versed in their playing skills giving them
a cutting edge over
most bands that try to create something similar.
The music is definitely metallic
in nature with tracks like "Craving For Transformation" and "Nutritional
Facelift" possessing an extremely
powerful driving force. However as I have already mentioned it is
the constant shifting on
rhythm as well as the playing around with various rhythms and syncopations
that gives the band that particular touch. One could make comparisons
with the latter day
King Crimson during segments of tracks like "Body Destroyed, Brain Intact",
however, I tend to liken them to one of my favourite prog-metal bands,
Mekong Delta due mainly to the occasional
foray into the speed/heavy metal genre. Perhaps another "new" band that
I have come across that could
be favourably compared to Dysrhythmia would be Maximum Indifference though
the latter tend to
favour a more conventional metal influence while Dysrhythmia seem to have
their roots in the alternative
metal scene.
One of the more curious
tracks is the spacey "Let You Fall" running in at close to eleven minutes.
The
track seems to act as divider between the blasting two sides of the album
and sounds almost alien-like
in its placidity. What this track definitely does is prove that these
guys are not just about
sheer brute force. They can play music that is passive and mellow, almost
relaxing, a characteristic of this track that is further accentuated by
the sheer power that the tracks on either side of "Let You
Fall" possess.
Without a shadow of doubt,
No Interference is one of the more intriguing pieces of work that
I have encountered
this year. Anyone who likes listening to progressive metal that is replete
with constant variation
in time signature coupled with an aggressive edge would do well to get
a copy of this album."
- 7.5/10 Nigel Camilleri Dutch Progressive Rock Pages (Netherlands)
20. "A total progressive rock/jazz/metal hybrid explosion from
the streets of Philadelphia! Imagine Cynic intermingled with Dream Theater
with John Coltrane supervising! Truly an amazing listen. For fans of the
most original music possible. Don't miss out on this one!" - Drew Juergens
Relapse/Resound (US)
21. "Pyscho semi-free-form progressive jazz technical pathos metal
in the realm of Cynic meets Sonic Youth" - Scott Mosher independent
musician (US)
22. Websters Medical defines Dysrhythmia as '...apparent dysfunction
of the equilibrium...' We'll interpret that to mean coming from sound.
Dysrhythmia was a personal surprise for me at this year’s Nearfest experience.
A late addition to the bill, the virtually unknown instrumental trio from
nearby Philly took the stage after a hypnotic performance by MCGILL/MANRING/STEVENS.
They started their set after most people had left the club and I was nursing
my last beer. By the second song I was 5 feet from the stage, left of
center watching one of the most energetic performances I’ve ever seen
by a progressive band. Well, rock is definitely a generic term to describe
these guys. Crafting a tight mixture of instrumental metal, punk and fusion,
Dysrhythmia’s energy filled live performance, in the words of SOT‘s own
Peter Pardo,“left the few of us in the audience totally out of breath”.
Dysrhythmia’s second release No Interference does manage to capture some
of that energy in it’s collection of eleven tightly crafted musical compositions.
Sporting a range of influences, from King Crimson to Sonic Youth, the
disc itself is impressively tight, crisp and compact. In fact, outside
of the opening riff of the sizzler “Body Destroyed, Brain Intact” the
first thing that came to my attention was the Spartan-like production
that allows the listener to enjoy each of the perspective talents of guitarist
Kevin Hufnagel, bassist Clayton Ingerson, and drummer Jeff Eber. All three
musicians lend to the sonic foundation of calculated rhythms, complex
lead passages, and free form experimentation. Versatility is probably
best word that describes this disc. While not overtly technical, each
song is balanced with enough sweetness, punch and genuine oddness to take
the listener to wonderful extremes. From ambient landscapes in “Let You
Fall” to the calculated, precision-filled metal stomping of “Nutritional
Facelift” there are enough textures on this album to keep it interesting
for listen after listen. Grant Kikkert - Sea of Tranquility (US)
23. These guys from Philly give Lethargy a run for their money
– they’re like a more
shred-tech-prog-math-metal version of Trans Am. We stumbled on them
when The Flashing
Astonishers played with them at a dive bar in Baltimore with Turkish Taffy,
my mouth hung open for
most of the set. Imagine Robert Fripp playing metal in a Trans Am side
project… it’s totally out of
control. The band takes all concepts of songs and disembowels them, throwing
in strange time
sigs and stutter-stops everywhere providing for a rollercoaster ride that
you don’t have to be a
metal head to enjoy. (5 stars of 5) GY - Topedo (US)
24. Philadelphia's Dysrhythmia (say that five times fast) are an
anomaly in the world of progressive music insofar as they're young, obscenely
talented and lack the faintest strain of pretense, Dysrhythmia is, for
all intensive purposes, a freeform, instrumental act that recalls Cynic,
Mr. Bungle, King Crimson and the like without the compositional constraints
of vocal patterns or imitation of musical concepts of the aforementioned.
In fact, the trio isn't in need of a vocalist or boring appropriation.
Each musician, from guitarist Kevin Hufnagel, bassist Clayton Ingerson
to drummer Jeff Eber, exhibits a lyrical but fluid style musicians in
almost any realm of music yearn to possess. Structurally, Dysrhythmia
is all over the proverbial map - winding, sound defying and sometimes
ironic (Knight Rider theme in track 3?) "No Interference," the band's
second album, is a non-stop, adventurous jam for those that have the same
appreciation for Voivod as they do Don Caballero. As this review indicates,
Dysrhythmia are difficult to pigeonhole and as such are a surefire hit
with those that like their music obtuse, unpredictable and full of virtuosity.
In fact, it's quite surprising to know Dysrhythmia are labelless considering
the relative popularity of progressive rock--maybe that's it, Dysrhythmia
are beyond the simple tenets of progressive music. Applause. - Chris Dick
- Eclipse (US) |