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Album Reviews : Dyssidia – Of Delight And Despair

By on January 22, 2017

dyssidia of delight and despairLet me be frank, at the best of times I struggle to digest progressive metal. I have always appreciated a faster and more unapologetic speed when listening to music, which quite often doesn’t meld well with the progressive metal genre, but understanding the effort and technicality in these types of songs does make me stop and take notice of good bands in this field. Dyssidia is one such band, and with their latest EP Of Delight and Despair,  they are going to prove it to the world.

While I’m sure that their recent tour with Caligula’s Horse, and their support slot with Katatonia will have garnered the band some fans in a live sense, it’s not until you actually listen to their EP that you realise it contains everything that you could want from a progressive metal band. I honestly couldn’t tell you what part of the release captivated me more between the drumming, the awe-inspiring guitar work, or just the sheer brilliance in the vocal delivery which could change from a fierce shrill to a calming, soothing, almost operatic delivery at the drop of a pin. There is such a talent on this EP that you would swear it was coming from bands that had been gracing the highest stages for some time.

From the outset, songs like “An Absolute Severance” stood out and really grab the listener from the get go, but then on subsequent listens, it’s tracks like “Dead Smoke” and “In a Heartbeat” that grow on you and build. It might only be four songs in length, but the album-like duration (“In A Heartbeat” clocks in at just shy of 10 minutes) further gives credence to the workmanship and drive of the band. The EP ebbs and flows across its four tracks, with each one giving you that little bit of a hint of being something broodingly dark, but striking a perfect transition into something progressive. Think Katatonia, but with an Australian flair.

It’s very rare these days that you can listen to a CD and just feel the emotion oozing out of it, but that’s exactly what this EP does. I guess it’s hard to describe but Dyssidia does everything in a way that seems effortless in its execution.

Does this EP have its flaws, you bet your ass it does… but they are minor enough to not even warrant a mention; and if you consider the technical precision that is apparent on this release, then you would want to be marking these guys down as a future fixture on your calendar and getting on board the hype train, because it’s going to leave the station pumping on all cylinders shortly and it would be better to be on board than stuck inhaling the dust once it leaves on its path.

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