There are few metal bands that can truly create an engaging sound and sustain it throughout an entire album. There are even fewer bands that bring an energy and focus to that sound and give it everything they’ve got. Dystrophy happen to accomplish both admirably and listening to their album, Chains of Hypocrisy, you can hear a young band who hungers to prove itself as a serious voice in metal.
From the opening track, “Iconoclasm”, Dystrophy comes roaring out of the gates with a focused sound, clean production, and well-written arrangements. Vocalist Greg Bueno annunciates with great clarity and projects his dark messages across the musical landscape created by his band mates. Guitarists Peter Lloyd and Peter Brown do a good job of playing in the popular death metal tuning while at the same time accenting it with tasteful guitar licks reminiscent of early Metallica and At the Gates.
It is difficult to succeed in making metal compelling, but Dystrophy do so here. With an older band’s focus and a younger band’s desire to prove itself, Here’s hoping that on their next album, the band continues to up the stakes and resists the urge to settle or relax into it’s electric sound.
In a word: Strong
