If you're looking for technical metal -- but don't have the patience for sissy bands obsessed with medieval times -- then prog-death metallists
Dysrhythmia are the band for you. On their 2009 release,
Psychic Maps, the Philadelphia-based/all-instrumental trio manages to incorporate tricky bits into their songs, without the whole thing coming off like one big wankfest. Picture a vocal-less
Mastodon, and you're not far off from the style that
Dysrhythmia specialize in. And the lads are certainly one of the hardest-hitting of all the "tech metal" bands out there at the moment, as evidenced by such ditties as "Festival of Popular Delusions," "Triangular Stare," and "Iron Cathedral," and they even approach
King Crimson territory with "Reactionary." On
Psychic Maps,
Dysrhythmia succeed at showing off their instrumental chops, without coming off like a bunch of dorks. ~ Greg Prato