“Djent” is one of the most innovative subgenres in metal in recent years, influenced by one of the most interesting Swedish bands to analyze: Meshuggah. They are a unique group, filled with a distinct power and heaviness, characterized by low tunings (even using 7 or 8-string guitars), complex time signatures, and constant percussive rhythms between guitars and bass drum. For many, Meshuggah is credited with creating the genre, but it wasn’t until years later that the genre reached its full potential.
In the 2010s, various young bands emerged to carry on this sound, fueled by advanced production technology that, by this point, was highly sophisticated, as if it had been prepared to embrace Djent. Among these emerging bands was Skyharbor, hailing directly from India. Led by Keshav Dhar on guitar, the project later welcomed excellent musicians such as Daniel Tompkins (vocalist of Tesseract) and Anup Sastry (drummer for Jeff Loomis), among others. This collaboration resulted in “Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos”, an outstanding work full of innovation.
What can we hear?
A sound brought directly from the future, perfectly quantized and executed, but also making extensive use of technical music production. We can appreciate a sound closely tied to digital technology, especially in the distortion of the guitars, which propose a grandiose sound. When distorted, they evoke total chaos, and when clean, they offer a very enjoyable peace through a dreamy sound, something characteristic of Djent.
Truth be told, ‘Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos’ is a work filled with complexity. Not every musician can play these songs, even if they are professionals. In every instrument, we find a series of very complex rhythms, where details are key in the composition. There are passages lasting just seconds, demanding virtuosity from the musician.
However, it’s not all about technicalities. The album is well-balanced through the vocals of Daniel Tompkins, which can be melodic and clean as in ‘Dots’ or filled with growls straight from hell, as heard in ‘Chaos’. His versatility adds a refined touch to the work.
Illusion and chaos
And the name of the album couldn’t have been better chosen: Skyharbor presents two facets in this record. First, seven songs with the prefix ‘Illusion’, where we hear a well-balanced musical richness, heavy passages, moments of peace, and the combination of both. Then, they present three songs with the prefix ‘Chaos’, which provoke total disorder, songs full of growls in the vocals and music that leads to madness. This section is filled with a modern aggression that serves as the crowning touch for this work, making us ponder everything these five individuals are capable of.
The album is intelligently crafted in every sense, including the order of the songs, which is impeccable. It guides the listener through a new world where different types of aural landscapes can be found, connected by the spatiality in the guitars.
Additionally, the percussive rhythms of the album constantly encourage the listener to engage in the so-called ‘headbang’, maintaining a series of technical breakdowns in the songs that are well worth a deep listen. These breakdowns are filled with details and provide breaks through memorable choruses, such as in ‘Order 66’, combining their progressive influence with the melodies of commercial music.
The brilliance of Keshav Dhar
Originally, ‘Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos’ was created with compositions entirely crafted by Keshav. Later, the band integrated to enhance the songs. However, Dhar is the main force behind creating this series of tracks that propose a guitar style with a range of new techniques in both execution and composition, closely tied to progressive metal, percussiveness, and groove.
It’s not without reason that we hear Marty Friedman (former guitarist of Megadeth) collaborate with two solos: one in ‘Catharsis’ and another in ‘Celestial’. An authentic guitar legend recognizing the talent of Keshav Dhar, one of the finest guitarists from India.
‘Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos’ is a perfect and innovative album, particularly for fans of progressive rock and metal. For us, it’s one of the best Djent albums.
What do you think? Leave us your comments!
