Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance

Many Tourniquet fans consider this release their magnum opus I definitely do not concur. While being a well thought out album Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance focuses even more on the complexity and progressive metal usage while not putting as much focus on the entertainment value as their first two albums. The album length is just under an hour which is too long, and the songs themselves have lost almost all of the thrash presence from their previous releases. The sound on Pathogenic is a continuation of Psycho Surgery with Tourniquet’s trademark medical terminology/song titles and mainly progressive song structures with a hint of mid-tempo thrash.

The bands performance is very good they are certainly one of the most talented Christian bands I have heard and certainly very original. Since the songs are slower the bass is the most audible it has been for Tourniquet up to this point, and it adds some very creative parts. The drumming is excellent; guitar is one of the weaker parts of the album making quite a few uninspiring riffs and leads. Overall Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance is also heavier than Tourniquet’s first two releases. Tourniquet even tries out a ten minute song The Skeezix Dilemma which is a two part song the second part is on Tourniquet’s 2000 release Microscopic View of a Telescopic Realm; the lyrical approach is Tourniquet’s weirdest yet.

Overall an average album in terms of entertainment value, though the songwriting is certainly above average and extremely skilled. The best songs are the title track, Ruminating Virulence, Theodicy On Trial, and En Hakkore Descent Into The Maelstrom is also a cool little instrumental. I recommend this album to fans of Tourniquet and progressive metal only.

-11 points because of being a boring in places
-9 points a lot of filler
-3 guitars could have been used to much more effect