Aziola Cry "Dysphoria Ritual" ALBUM REVIEW [Warr-Guitar Driven Instrumental Prog Metal Trio]

by Dean Wolfe Prog Dog Media        (Album released April 17, 2026)

Instrumental music has travelled a long road since The Ventures helped define surf rock beginning in the '50s.

From the opening moments of this instrumental prog metal/prog rock album by Aziola Cry, a few things become immediately clear. Drums matter here, and they sound amazing. Melody matters too, though not enough to become overly hook-driven. Dissonance plays a key role. The music is in constant motion, propelled by fluid tempos and shifting time signatures. Clean and sweet distorted guitars—and the distinctive 12 string 'tappable' Warr guitar—are given room to breathe, sounding full-bodied, beautiful, sharp, sheeny, and gritty throughout the album. The enduring influence of Tool is impossible to miss, a reminder that their impact on progressive music will be felt for generations. And at least for part of your listening day, you won't miss the human voice at all. Even with tracks averaging eight minutes, this trio has plenty to say without repeating themselves. 

And so, Chicago's AZIOLA CRY unveil their fourth album, Dysphoria Ritual, through 7D Media, the label founded by former King Crimson member Trey Gunn. As is so often the case, I arrive late to the party, so consider this the perspective of a newcomer with no prior knowledge of the band or their music.  

Nevertheless, repeated listens quickly put me in my place, earning my respect as this muscular music pummelled my senses—like stepping into a boxing ring for an unexpectedly energizing round.

The narrative behind Dysphoria Ritual traces a gradual retreat into isolation, where instinctive behavior slowly gives way to confinement and the boundary between happiness and misery begins to blur. It is complemented by artwork from renowned visual artist Travis Smith (King Diamond, Opeth, Riverside), reinforcing the band’s commitment to depth, detail, and artistic cohesion.

It should be pointed out that Aziola Cry are a performing band, not just a studio project, and have appeared at festivals such as ProgDay and ProgStock. Even if just for the 12 stringed Warr guitar—akin to a Chapman Stick—this album is worth checking out. It’s a strange musical creature that should have more protagonists in its corner. It handles the dual role of bass guitar and regular guitar. 

Withdrawn and Alone (Track 5) occasionally leans into a kind of detective or sleuth-like atmosphere, with a subtle undercurrent of humour surfacing in places. Midway through, a built-in drum solo gives Tommy Murray space to break out into fast, kinetic playing that briefly shifts the track’s momentum without forcing a lane change.

The Warr guitar-based compositions continue to stand out as something structurally unusual—less like conventional guitar writing and more like an alien logic applied to harmony and rhythm. At times it feels almost non-human in its construction, like if elephants started composing complex music; it’s closer to an unfamiliar system at times than a traditional fretboard language.

Dysphoria Ritual (Track 6), which closes the album, brings everything into a final, controlled crescendo. A standout slide guitar performance helps push it toward resolution, giving the ending a sense of completion, but also dissolution. It functions as a deliberate closing statement—cleanly tying together the album’s ideas and maintaining focus right to the final moment.

The Album Dysphoria Ritual therefore earns a solid 4.5 out of 5 dog bones for its creative, purposeful, and focused thrust, as well as its exploration of the Warr guitar—an instrument that may only just be getting started.

Dysphoria Ritual is now released on CD and digital platforms through 7D Media. 

Some more info about the band: 

AZIOLA CRY:

Jason Blake – Warr guitar (a 'tappable' dual bass/ regular guitar having 12 strings) 

Mike Milaniak – guitar 

Tommy Murray – drums

Recorded and mixed by Steven Gillis at Transient Sound (Los Lobos, Naked Raygun) with additional recording by Amery Schmeisser at Gravel Road Recording, and mastered by Grammy Award–winning engineer Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound (The Eagles, Lamb Of God, Gojira).