INDEPENDENT HARMONY

"Independent Harmony" is the 2nd full-length studio album by Polish progressive metal act Division By Zero. The album was released through Prog Team in April 2010. Division By Zero was formed in 2003. Their original run ended in 2013 when they disbanded. They released two studio albums during their 10 years together. "Tyranny of Therapy (2007)" and "Independent Harmony (2010)". There´s been one lineup change since "Tyranny of Therapy (2007)" as bassist Michal Wieczorek has been replaced by Maciej Foryta.

Stylistically the material on "Independent Harmony" is pretty much a continuation of the progressive metal style of "Tyranny of Therapy (2007)". So Division By Zero´s brand of progressive metal which features both technically challenging instrumetal sections, melancholic atmospheric parts, and the occasional death metal growl is intact. The band have grown as composers though, and they´ve also honed their already considerable playing/singing skills even more since the debut. Slawek Wierny has a strong voice and a convincing delivery, which isn´t far removed from the sound and style of Mariusz Duda (Riverside). His growling vocals are not as interesting, but they get the job done, when a more aggressive atmosphere is called for. Personally I think the album would have been stronger without them though.

"Independent Harmony" features 7 tracks and a full playing time of 44:03 minutes. The material is very well written. The tracks are generally complex in structure but still catchy and memorable, and the combination of atmosphere, technical wizardry, and heavy riffs and rhythms work really well. "Independent Harmony" also feautures a professional, clear, and detailed sound production which suits the material well, so upon conclusion it is a high quality release and a great sophomore album by Division By Zero. They aren´t necessarily the most unique sounding progressive metal act on the scene, but they deliver their music with great skill and conviction and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)