ANURYZM

An unlike offering by MRR, Anuryzm are certainly an interesting find from the Middle-East. Although based at UAE, the majority of the band are raised in Lebanon but musically heavily influenced by western musical roads.

''Worm's Eye View'' is an interesting blend of straightforward, riff-driven progressive metal and metalcore. Indeed, at times Anuryzm resemble more to acts such as Trivium rather than Between the Buried and Me or late Symphony X (references to point you to the sound of the album). The interchange between clean and harsh vocals is keeping a balance over pacey, thumping, fast galloping riffs, but its continuous use and resemblance to practices of metalcore bands might tire the prog-metal listener.

It is difficult to pinpoint weak moments but equally difficult is to find truly excellent moments, with the shiny exception of the inspiring ''Breaking the Ballot'' and perhaps the mellower ''Skygazing'', where the band find the perfect balance between layered riffing and catchy, melodic refrains.

A very well-worked, professional album, which might not last the test of time. Invest if prog metalcore is your thing.

It seems they are able to construct oasis' and sheer paradise from out of nothing these days in the Dubai and Abu Dubai in the United Arab Emerites. Even with all the war and terrorism coverage western civilaization receive's the UAE seems to be a peaceful area where commerce and creativity can flourish out of the turbulent desert sands. This includes the progressive metal band Anuryzm. Not since the Tunisian powerhouse Myrath have I been this impressed with a progressive metal band from the middle east. Their compositions seem to have so many hooks rendering the listener a audio pin cushion. Although they list the bands that influenced them as Pantera, Symphony X, Megadeth, Dream Theater, Opeth, they are so much more than these. You certainly hear their influences, yet Anuryzm do it in their own unique style. To go on record here, they are one of the few progressive metal acts since Pain of Salvation that you can not typecast nor pigeonhole into anyone sub genre in the progressive metal scene. First they do something really odd and begin the album with a slow eccentric track that can be misconstrued as a power ballad with Mineral. This track has a beautiful way to open up the album and allow for the listener to get comfortable with their own audio experience. Soon after Mineral, they rip right into Full Agonist. Full Agonist rips into a perfect rhythmic machine between the bass and drums. Then a full all out guitar shred fest joins into the intro. This track reminds of many of the riffs heard on Symphony X's Odyssey album. It especially echoes shades of Wicked and King of Terrors . Just when the vocal hooks you that way soon comes a full on grunt that beckons Opeth's Deliverance. Full Agonist is a little taste of what is in store for the duration of the album. Humanoid opens up and reminds me of Death Angel's Ultra Violence album meets Pantera's Vulgar Display Of Power . It contains the the thrash metal style of Ultra Violence with a left hook of the vocals from Vulgar Display Of Power. You can truly see the depth and reach of Nadeem Bibby's vocal range. Depolarized starts with a beautiful semi acoustic introduction. It then proceeds to pick up with a really heavy handed bass and double kick drum passage done quite effectively by the combination of Rany Battikh - Bass & Imad Dahleh - Drums as a rhythmic collective. Depolarized also contains voice over spoken word portions that remind me of most Dream Theater albums over the course of the last 30 years. The Challenger has probably the most serious heavy handed intro, of all the tracks on the album. The immediate vocal harmonies in the intro remind me of Judas Preist's Living After Midnight. John Bakhos - Guitars nails it on this with serious interchangeable time signatures going in and out of 4/4 rhythms to finger tapping shred work that reminds me of early Steve Hackette riffs in the prog era of Genesis. Oceans Apart paints a beautiful acoustic bridge as it is at the half way point on the album. It is also the only instrumental on the album. Jay Jahed - Synth puts on a keyboard clinic on Oceans Apart giving the listener a beautiful yet subtle atmosphere. All Is Not For All the title track serves as the utility track. With a killer power opening of growl vocals on top of a progressive thrash passage, All Is Not For All most definitely allows you to hear the band as a collective in the whole of their individual parts and instruments. Great time signatures combined with beauty atmospheric harmonies on the ivory keyboards. 199x starts out with a thunderous intro before the guitars fall within the background. 199x is one of those beastly tracks with big thunderous rhythm sections and actual shredding. This also has a wicked background distorted fuzzy vibe on the keyboards with something that seems like a lost art nowadays. That lost art being a actual guitar solo. This track also contains elements of Opeth's last two albums Heritage and Pale Communion crossed with vocal elements of Hansi Kusch of Blind Guardian. Impermanence begins with a eerie passage on the keyboards before hitting the clutch and transmission time signature wise with a galloping Iron Maiden type of progression. Impermanence is relentless with the band firing its full and true arsenal of talent. The growl vocals have elements that remind me of Amon Amarth mixed with Symphony X and a little of Seiges Even with the instrumental portions. Perispirit contains a wonderful semi acoustical opening with warm vocal melodies. Soon after the instrumental section hooks you in with every section and second. Then the vocals are as if taking the leash of a beast. The vocals going in and out between growls that are damn near black metal to cleaner more conventional vocals. As far as the arrangement of tracks is concerned, Perispirit is could not be a more perfect track to close out this masterpiece. Listening to this All Is Not For All was my introduction to Anuryzm . It was a damn good and solid introduction. It makes you hunger and thirst for more. All Is Not For All has a wonderful vibe about it where you are now in anticipation to hear it in a live setting. Trust me I am not kissing anyones ass here. I am giving this a 5/5 for the skillful mastery and the overall arrangement of the tracks as they lay on the album.