Dysrhythmia makes the kind of highly charged, neck-breaking instrumental metal that fuels late nights spent glued to a glowing screen. Besides inadvertently creating an alternate soundtrack to Contra, Dysrhythmia inspires gape-jawed awe: These musicians are ridiculously adept at their instruments, but have also embraced an otherworldly melodicism that keeps listeners hooked — especially throughout "In Secrecy," the opening cut from the band's forthcoming sixth album, Test of Submission.
Considering the many projects and bands to feature Dysrhythmia's members since 1998, "In Secrecy" could be described as the sum of the band's parts. Guitarist Kevin Hufnagel and bassist Colin Marston are both members of the newish-ly reactivated Gorguts, a terrordome of Georges Braque-like death metal, heard here in cascading riff plunges. Jeff Eber's aerobic drumming swells and pounds with a swiftness cultivated through his time in the muscular jazz trio Zevious. More than before, hints of shimmering melody shine through, as heard in both Hufnagel's shoegaze-y Vaura project and on his own solo record. Toward the end, there's a staggeringly heavy section that moves everything forward in the spirit of Krallice, which also has a new album out in August — and which counts Marston as a member. That barely covers the Dysrhythmic Family Tree.
Gnarled branches and roots aside, "In Secrecy" serves as the Konami Code to my air guitar. There's no higher honor.
Test of Submission comes out August 28 on Profound Lore.
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