| CD REVIEW Ion Dissonance |
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Band : Ion Dissonance This Montréal based Math-DeathCore Metal band was founded by guitarists Antoine Lussier and Sebastien Chaput in late 2001 with the firm intent to create music that went beyond anything they'd done before where complexity was concerned. Over the years there's been some comings and goings in the line-up (mainly on the bass, but there's also been a change of vocalist), but since I can direct you to the band's Wikipedia page for more details on that, I'll just mention that the current membership also includes singer Kevin McCaughey (joined 2006), bassist Yannick Desgroseillers (joined earlier this very year), and drummer JF Richard. Following very positive response to their 2002 promotional demo .357, they signed to Willowtip Records (who had a European distribution through Cacophonous Records in Europe), which led them to start opening for more reputed bands such as The Dillinger Escape Band, Every Time I Die, Daughters, Misery Index, The End, and The Black Dahlia Murder...even before the October 2003 released debut full-length Breathing Is Irrelevant was released to positive response from both media and music fans. The band's first big tour came in 2004, the US East Coast tour in support of Forever Is Forgotten, followed by shows from the East Coast to the West Coast and Canada with fellow Canadians The End, and an appearance at 2004's Maryland Deathfest. The band's sophomore album, 2005's Solace, was issued through Abacus Recordings/ Century Media, and ID again toured Canada and the US. In 2006 the band had a split release with Despiced Icon, and their change of vocalist. This change also came with a musical gearing away from the pure Math Metal the band had been playing in their beginnings, towards a more heavy, groove-laden style, which was first witnessed on the band's 2007 release Minus The Herd (posted 24/07/2007, the review for that was expertly done by Death Metal specialist colleague Ivan). Some reviewers said the band had lost some of its initial “chaos” in favour of a more melodic sound. Most important events on the live front were the band's support slot for Through The Eyes Of The Dead on a European tour, followed by the Summer Slaughter Tour in Canada and the US. Having played over 750 shows in a 5-year period of existence, the band then went on a hiatus to concentrate on more personal things (being forced to take on “normal” day jobs in the process). In August 2009 the band announced their return, and the fact they were writing material for the new album. Inspired by the band's personal struggles and a unifying determinism to break the mould of generic standards in heavy music, the music was eventually recorded and produced by Lussier himself, in an effort to withstand outside interference and take the band's music to a new level! Well, as colleague Ivan mentioned in his review of the previous album, ID musical complexity is difficult to grasp at a first listening, but at the same time the listener is treated to a certain degree of groove, which should be his/ her lead when listening to the album a second time. Of course, even then one may not be able to grasp all the underlaying niceties, and in fact in order to “get” the album as swiftly as possible one is best to replay each song a couple of times in a row. Great fun...at least this ain't no stuff you can lay aside after only a couple of listening sessions, and I'm sure each time the listener takes some longer time off from the album (s)he will need to get into it all over again, in spite of the “melodic” overtones which may have lingered in memory. To me, such material is proof of excellence (I hàte things that are too obvious, although I force myself to get in touch with it on a regular basis, just to appreciate the “better” things that much more!), and that's only óne reason why Cursed gets top rating and a sure spot in my year-lists! Lóve the band's sense of humour, displayed in the often lengthy song titles! Oh right, almost forgot you need to know where you can listen to some songs off the new album! Just mosey on to myspace.com/iondissonance to find 3 songs off the new album alongside just as many off its predecessor, and some more off the first two albums. Enjoy, and become convinced of the necessity to add albums by this band to your collection. Darn...if I'd known before... Oh...and euhm, in the US the album is still distributed by Century Media, in Japan by Doom Patrol. Also forgot to mention this is the first ID album to feature 8-string guitar, and also the first to contain clean vocals (on bonus track “Pallor”). Evidently, there's bonus tracks on the other versions of the album as well (makes it interesting for the fans to try and get each version of the album, I suppose?)! 98/100 Tony. |