UTOPIA

I have been taken completely by surprise with Distorted Harmony's ''Utopia''. It is one of these rare cases when a new band comes up with a mature sound and debut album, effectively filtering a very broad range of influences and also adding their personal character to produce something far from the "acceptable" and "typical".

The fact that the six tracks in ''Utopia'' are of 9+ minutes average duration proves the nerve and the ''effrontery'' of the quintet and the effort pays off. Within the 54 minutes of the album, Distorted Harmony present us their own view of how modern progressive metal should sound like: a weighted balance of technical prowess and emotional depth, without fear of borrowing from other aspects of progressive music (call it crossover, mainstream, symphonic etc). At the same time, references to Dream Theater, Fates Warning and Sieges Even but also Muse and Porcupine Tree are evident. The vocals of Misha Soukhinin might estrange a few as too "natural", but they fit perfectly with the earthly feeling that comes out of the album.

The production is clear, the sound of the instruments balanced, the musicianship admirable. Although I find myself enjoying the first half of the album more, there are no weak tracks. My favourite moments are "Obsession" and the title track, the former because of the pure dynamism and the latter because it sums up all the attributes and moods of the record, an effort that "flirts" with, and mostly achieves perfection.

Is it time to seek for your own (melodic) Utopia?

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