When you first see the cover of DYNAHEAD's "Chordata I" one might think that it sounds something like BARONESS or REDFANG for these bands all share the same style of art work. DYNAHEAD is musical proof that one should not judge and album cover by its art work. I am over joyed to tell you that this record differs greatly from the two previously mentioned bands. "Chordata I" is a very interesting progressive metal release to say the least. This album is overflowing with variety. The song "Hallowed Engine" has a section of tribal music being played over the rhythm guitar. When I first experienced this oddity it didn't seem to fit or make much sense to me but the second time I came across the section it jived well with the rest of the mix. Each song took on multiple moods, from angry and determined to more mellow and relaxed. These different moods or feelings were portrayed nicely by the vocalist and drummer Caio Duarte. His vocal range is very impressive; he had some very nice guttural lows and a few soaring highs that reminded me of something from QUEEN. The percussion section in my opinion could have been just a tad bit stronger but I'm not going to gripe on it too much since he is singing while turning out these unique patterns and showing off some fancy footwork. The guitar was turned down extremely low like that of MESHUGGAH for a heavy Djent sound. I happen to actually enjoy the Djent rhythms the guitarist created for this record. Most of them were groovy and easy to nod my head to. The only problem is that after multiple listens to this record the guitar might become boring and repetitive to some listeners. Because the guitar was so low I couldn't make out the bass at all even with a pair of noise cancelling headphones. I'm sure if the bass was absent from the mix it would make an audible difference.

This album is full of variety and each song hold a unique feeling. Listening to this from front to back I never got bored or lost interest. The only downside to this album would be the guitar work. On an album with so much variety it was the element that was least imaginative. If they would have added a solo here or there I'm sure that would have livened things up just a bit. Over all "Chordata I" is one of the more interesting releases I've heard this year. If you like progressive music in general definitely give this one a listen.