Tourniquet, Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance

Although I'm not a great fan of metal and its many variants and subgenres, the occasional metal cd may be found in my collection and of them is the 1992 Tourniquet album 'Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance'. I got this by 'accident' as it came in a boxset with some other cd's. The great thing is that -as a lover of classical music too- there is almost a thematic set up to this cd with returning themes, only instead of violins it is metal guitar riffs repeated in great melodic solo's accompanied by dramatic vocals.

The first two tracks are my definite favourites. The first track is basically an intro to the whole album and sounds like the opening to a symphony - metal style! When the second track seamlessly continues the intro, the cd increases in strength and the climax of the vocals only leads in to a more aggressive pitch on the title track 'Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance'.

The title of this cd is true to its genre and the music is not the only thing I would class as intelligent. The lyrics are very good and with some dramatic themes being touched upon, the music really gains even momentum and makes you return to this album time and time again.

To cut the story short, just get it. You can pick it up for a few quid and it's worth it. The heavy guitars, strong vocals, melodic but rough songs, double bass drum and fast riffs really make this an album that cannot be missed in any collection - well in my opinion!