With its genre-hopping mix of metalcore, thrash and progressive-metal tendencies, Dry Lung Rhetoric certainly makes for a musically interesting debut.
Such a mix of genre influences could prove somewhat jarring in the wrong hands, but Reading’s Schemata Theory have no such problems here, as tracks such as opener Perish Or Prevail, Drone and Six Into Three take the listener on a musical journey of heavy uptempo and softer melodic moments.
Instrumental track Crisis Unveiled in particular shows the band mixing up genres with a high level of musical ability. It’s a shame then that the dual vocals of Myles Dyer and Luke Wright let the record down. While they’re not hugely bad, both fail to hit home, with the aggressive vocals feeling forced and lacking in any real venom, while the clean, more melodic vocal lines often come across as whiney rather than soaring.
As a debut release, Dry Lung Rhetoric is an ambitious first outing where musical exploration outshines its more direct stabs at emotion.
