Technical Death Metal band DYSMORPHIC formed in Tours et Toulouse, France in 2008. Their sound has often been compared to that of SUFFOCATION (one of the band's influences), DEEDS OF FLESH, DECREPIT BIRTH, and GOROD along with many others. To date the band has released a single, "Sceptical Existence"(2009), an EP, "Dysymorphic"(2010), and two albums, "A Notion of Causality"(2013) as well as 2018's "An Illusive Progess", which I am reviewing today.

The album starts out with "Last Breath" which features a male voiceover lamenting the various ills and evils of mankind along with perils of modern society. Eventually the voice trails away allowing a nice sythesizer track to take center stage instead. While I didn't get much out of the track I do understand its purpose was to set a tone for the rest of the album. In this case I don't think it was necessary. Track two, "Bathos" features a complex arrangement which suited the overall mood of the song quite well. The vocals are very guttural, almost to the point of being too low in some places where the background music overpowered them to a degree. Otherwise, it is an enjoyable song that showcases the band's talent quite well.

"My Clay" captured my interest immediately. Excellent opening, including an impressive growl by Thibault Bruneliere that really set the mood. Great performances by guitarists Eric H - T and Francois Le Lyon enhance the underlying tension even more as the song continues. The interaction between the guitarists and the vocalist is very effective, making it seem like the band is a well-oiled machine rather than musicians in a band. It's one of those songs that will get stuck in your head, but not in a bad way. The fourth track, "Diving Mask",  features a great melody and tempo along with a nice arrangement. I am particularly impressed by bassist Johann Sadak as I listened to this song. He easily holds his own against both guitarists as well as drummer Danny Lee who provides an excellent backbeat to complete the mix. The switch-offs between fast paced and slower paced worked extremely well for the track. It is easily one of my favorites off of this album.

"Unmasked" is a very brief track, but essential nonetheless as it continues the final notes of the previous song and adds to it to create something else that is worth listening to. Track six, "It Creeps" made me think of H.P. Lovecraft as soon as I saw the title. While it isn't as impressive as "Diving Mask" it's still a well-crafted composition that allows the band show off some of its' skills. Another great performance by Johann Sadak as he skillfully blends the bass with Danny Lee's aggressive drumming style. Dark and moody it's hard to ignore the song's almost Gothic feel in places. It's another one that really appealed to me.

The seventh track, "Elements," is a much angrier song compared to the previous songs. Thibault Bruneliere does an exceptional job as he growls and snarls his way through the lyrics, lending just the right level of rage to the track. The arrangement of this song was all over the place in the best way possible; think of a roller coaster ride and you'll get the idea. "Seven Steps" features a melodic intro that was EXCELLENT; in all honesty I find myself hoping the band might explore this type of sound a bit more in the future since they're obviously extremely good at it. After the lovely intro the pace quickens as Bruneliere delivers another excellent performance. The twin guitar attacks throughout added a nice touch to the song that made it quite nice to listen to. This is another one that is my contender as a song to recommend.

Unfortunately, I am not as fond of the ninth track, "In The Mind". It is a little too technical for my taste which gives it a non-organic quality that doesn't appeal to my ear. The song's rhythms don't blend as well as the ones on the previous tracks, and the vocal performance doesn't feel nearly as inspired. Even the guitarists are more subdued somehow, which is really a shame. Then I heard track ten, "In The Palms Of The Sculptor" and felt a bit better again. The heavy intro along with the sinister vocals give the song a really dark feel which reminds me more of pure death metal. Even the change in tempo mid-song doesn't take anything away from it. I think some of the album's best guitar riffs are also featured on the track. Consider this yet another one that is worth checking out. The oddly-titled final track, "The Vow Of The Bees" is interesting. It almost seems like the band might have been experimenting with sounds when they came up with the song. The best way to describe it would be "eclectic" as it wanders all over the place in a really good way. It's such an odd composition with regard to sound that I find myself unable to stop listening to it because it really makes me wonder WHERE it's going. A strange song, but it works.

I think most Technical Death Metal fans would enjoy what DYSMORPHIC has managed to create with "An Illusive Progress". It's a solid effort by a band that quietly continues to earn the respect of more fans and critics alike. I don't even consider myself much of a fan of Technical Death Metal and I liked it so that should tell you a lot.