Tardive Dyskinesia is a progressive metal band from Athens, Greece formed in 2004. The group has recieved some accolades previously with the release of their critically-acclaimed Static Apathy in Fast Forward. I'm going to have to check that one out too, because if it's anything like Harmonic Confusion, it has to be amazing as well. Get out that calculator and metronome again, this one gets pretty crazy.
Drummers rejoice once more; this album is for you. Killer guitar players are pretty prevalent if you know where to look, but a truly great drummer can be hard to come by. Harmonic Confusion seem to have hit the jackpot. From the kinetic performance itself to the crisp production, the kit is on lock. Whether the song is slowly meandering as on much of the opening track, or barreling forward full force; the technical prowess never seems to take a day off. I would not be the least bit surprised to find that this guy reviews each track and says, “nope…already used that pattern.”
As for everyone else, they are fantastic as well. The vocals maintain a pretty hefty Mastodon vibe with their gruff delivery, sludgy sustains, and sudden bursts of aggression. Do these guys have beards? They must have beards. The guitars carry some similar influences, but there is plenty Meshuggah in these hooks as well. “Insertion” definitely kicks things off on the djenty end of the spectrum, but “The Electric Sun” is pure Blood Mountain. In any case, the resulting compositions are extremely flexible and always engaging. I am partial to the first four tracks, but every moment of this album has something to offer.
I feel like I need to suspend my email, because there is simply too much good music coming through to keep up with. Tardive Dyskinesia hit me hard during an already tumultuous influx of amazing releases, but this one could not be passed up no matter how busy things got. They had me at hello, and by the time the delectable groove of “Self Destructive Haze” rolled around to wreck my neck, there was no turning back. Harmonic Confusion is fitting of its title in that it is a chaotic onslaught of both soaring melodies and mathy crunch. More please.