ENOUGH BLAME TO GO AROUND

I have always been impressed by musical duos who manage to create quality despite only two minds being involved. And while I'm familiar with the American duo Disconnect, which is comprised of Erich O'Dell and Brian Eschrich, I am continually impressed especially by these two guys mainly because not only is it only them doing everything, they also handle all this in conjunction to a geographical gap between them (one lives in Maryland while the other lives in New Jersey). Despite this barrier, however, the band still manages to pump out album after album since their 2009 formation, as they have already released four studio albums and an EP since 2010. Even without the help of a label, the music is high quality, well produced, and in general a great listen.

Their fourth album, entitled Enough Blame to go Around is easily the more complex, mature, and heavy album they've released to date. The album comprised of 5 songs only, each of respectable or longer length. Each composition is like its own little world on the album; every song has a distinct mood, beat, and message that adds to the epic and brooding atmosphere of the album. I had the privilege of reviewing their 2011 album Indivision, and if that album was the band's tribute to the great Canadian proggers Rush, this album is certainly the band's tribute to the legendary King Crimson, as the album is wrought with dark, experimental, and heavy expanses of music all acknowledging Fripp's progressive band of merry men. However, just like on their last album, the band isn't afraid to dip into numerous pots of influence, utilizing not only an influenced sound but also their own style, which added an excellent flair to the album.

The best example of the great diversity of the album is simply listening to the introductions of each of the five songs. "Adventures in Taxidermy" introduces the album with a dark and brooding atmosphere accentuated by a heavy synth/guitar duo riff. This song flows nicely into "Inside Job," which opens with an almost ethnic and upbeat, yet still intense, percussive beat which flows into an uncannily Crimson-esque multi-part guitar harmony riff such as the ones seen between Fripp and Belew on the Discipline-era albums. "Falling Man" then opens with a concept-oriented soundclip intro of 9/11 newscasts in a haunting, oppressive way. "Sufficient" is the lighter of the tracks, opening with lighter percussion, Rush-ian guitar chord riffs, and some pleasant vocals. The 18-minute closing epic "Twisting the Knife" opens in an almost melancholy way ? gently played guitar chords, quiet piano notes, and a guitar solo that seems to have been taking straight from the Crimson classic "Sheltering Sky" ? airy, atmospheric, and almost whimsical in a blue way. While each intro doesn't speak for every mood explored in each song, just by exploring those themes one can see quite easily the band held nothing back in terms of creativity while making this album.

The entire album is a tour de force of the band's compositional, technical, and aggressive skill. Every song, whether it's based in a King Crimson-esque format, a Spock's Beardian melodic section, or a riffing passage worthy of Rush, has its moments of headbanging heaviness, hummable melodies (maybe except the intense instrumental Inside Job), and complex and brooding atmospheres. The lyrics can be haunting or meaningful (especially in the case of Falling Man), the vocals have their share of dryness and harmony, and the instrumentation is equally split between technicality and emotion. While every guitar solo doesn't fit perfectly with the music, there are times when the solo or instrumental section meshes perfectly with the mood of the song, especially in Twisting the Knife. Not every musical nugget is perfect, but overall the entire album is incredibly well put together and very well arranged.

While the sheer volume of music contained within the five songs is difficult to organize and keep within the confines of a simple review, it's clear that Enough Blame to go Around is a truly magnificent opus of Disconnect. Of what I've heard of the band (which is most of their material), this seems to be their best album yet. There a points that aren't as fitting as others, but in the end it all fits together quite nicely. The album runs gamut with powerful riffs and intense music, and if any piece of music this band creates will be remembered, this will certainly be it. 4- stars.