For one of modern metal’s leading lights, the decision to depart from his comfort zone and dive into the world of electrical and orchestral accompaniments would represent a bold step in the development in their music. However, for Serj Tankian, the paradox in the album’s title Imperfect Harmonies is not just a clever figure of speech, but representative of the two very different strands of music which run throughout the album, but never truly gel together to surpass, or indeed match any of Tankian’s earlier works.
BY SEAN ASHFORD
As one of the most politically motivated people in music today, Serj Tankian’s music has always encapsulated his feelings of injustice towards the common man, be it as the lead singer of System of a Down or in his previous solo albumElect the Dead, and this album is no exception. The first three songs on the album are solid Tankian material, if not quite reaching the heights of his SOAD days. However Beatus is poor by any artist’s reckoning, and it is by far the worst example of the meandering which unfortunately is all too common in this album.
That is not to say that Imperfect Harmonies lacks the usual powerful lyrics and exhilarating guitar work that one would normally associate with Tankian’s work. ‘Electron’ and ‘Gate 21’ are shining examples of the blend of traditional metal with the orchestral accompaniment which adds a certain freshness to the album. Nevertheless it is the much more typical ‘Left of Centre’ which is the undisputable highlight of the album. It combines wonderfully powerful vocals with a tune which equals anything he has produced before to make one of the best metal songs you’re likely to hear any time this year. The only negative is that in the next and final song, ‘Wings of Summer’, there is a return to the meandering which plagues the album and leaves a slightly sour taste in the mouth, preventing this album from fulfilling its true potential.
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