Ion Dissonance - Minus the Herd

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RIYL

Despised Icon
Apiary
Cephalic Carnage
Psyopus

Tracklist

1. The Surge
2. Through Evidence
3. Kneel
4. Shunned Redeemer
5. You Shouldn't Be Alive
6. Scorn Haven
7. Of Me...Nobody Is Safe
8. Untitled
9. Void Of Conscience
10. Tarnished Trepidation

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Recent Ratings

When I first caught wind of Ion Dissonance they were an unsigned Canadian act with two songs on their MP3.com page and only the .357 demo to their name. Shortly thereafter, Willowtip Records picked up the band for their debut, Breathing Is Irrelevant, a completely chaotic schizo-riff fest. The album showed a ridiculous amount of talent in a young band that were taking the foundation laid by The Dillinger Escape Plan and running within 1,000 different directions at once. The band steadily gained popularity leading to signing with Abacus Recordings for the release of 2005's Solace. Solace saw the band reeling in their unpredictable nature a bit and focusing on making more memorable songs, easily outshining their debut.

So here we are in 2007, and Ion Dissonance is back with Minus the Herd, their third full-length effort and first with vocalist Kevin McCaughey. Armed with an incredibly beefy production courtesy of Zeuss, the band continues down the path of Solace, further streamlining their sound into a more controlled and focused beast making for their most memorable and their most unmercifully heavy effort to date.

First things first, McCaughey does an admirable job with his slightly more hardcore oriented vocal stylings. His voice is a little more stern and direct, but doesn't quite have the same lacerating effect that Gabriel McCaughry’s had. Sometimes Gabriel would get overly hoarse when reaching into the upper part of his range, but Kevin's voice sounds forceful through his entire range.

Secondly, the more streamlined sound makes for an album that is much, much easier to wrap the ol' noggin around. You could make the argument that they've lowered the level of technicality because they aren't cramming so many riffs into their songs and they don't rely as heavily on vicious flurries of notes, but the songs are still mind-bogglingly complex and completely non-linear, the band just allows themselves to settle into grooves that really help to hammer home just how powerful their staccato riffing is. Besides, there are enough moments, such as in "Of Me... Nobody Is Safe" where the band unleashes their more chaotic side to satiate that need. Also of note is the increasing presence of completely bizarre chugging patterns that frequently garner Meshuggah comparisons, but Ion Dissonance's delivery has much higher levels of speed and intensity, so I won't do the band the disservice.

Straight up, Minus the Herd is the heaviest record of the year. Any other band making that claim (coughEmmurecough) can promptly shut the hell up. Some may prefer the more frenzied attack of the first two records, but there is no denying it, Minus the Herd is the catchiest and most pummeling Ion Dissonance record yet.

--Tyler Wagnon

Last updated: 09/29/2009 08:59PM

Comments

Great Refuser
06/22/2007
06:57AM
Age: 33
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
I'll definitely be getting this. I just listened to a few tracks on myspace and it's pretty freakin' good.
lezsolt
06/22/2007
07:52AM
Age: 27
Location
Budapest, Hungary
It's good but Solace was better.

rustycage
06/22/2007
09:05AM
Age: 32
is this post rock? because only post rock albums and alex pop stuff gets 5 stars around here... :D
Kerwin White
06/22/2007
10:32AM
Age: 27
Location
blockbuster
rustycage
is this post rock? because only post rock albums and alex pop stuff gets 5 stars around here... :D

try generic metalcore
xtakesthesquare
06/22/2007
02:33PM
Location
New Jersey
5 stars?


5 stars?

when i see it in your eyes
i just want to go blind

Chris Conlan
06/22/2007
02:37PM
Age: 28
Location
Dubuque
All I know is Tyler must've really liked this because out of like 100+ reviews he's done for me over the past 2-3 years only a few were 5's.

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tim
06/22/2007
06:59PM
Age: 29
Location
Green Brook, NJ
ChrisC
All I know is Tyler must've really liked this because out of like 100+ reviews he's done for me over the past 2-3 years only a few were 5's.


only fanbois give 5's.
Zach Roth
06/22/2007
07:05PM
Age: 25
Location
Fishers, Indiana
Pandolfo made me listen to one of the tracks on here with a crazy-timing breakdown and backwards screams.

I liked Paramore better.

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gregplaysdrums
06/22/2007
09:21PM
Location
SCV, CA
bunch of crap. No way does this deserve a 5. Its completely forgettable.
Chris Conlan
06/22/2007
09:37PM
Age: 28
Location
Dubuque
tim
only fanbois give 5's.


Aight brotha.

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Sins Of Arcadia
06/23/2007
03:13AM
Age: 29
Location
Florida, USA
...this is a 3/5 at very best. Solace is far superior, and this is in NO WAY the 'heaviest' record of the year. Jesus Christ. Nile? Behemoth? Sarpanitum? Hell, even Despised Icon is heaver than this. Not to mention quite a bit better.
cloudscollide
06/23/2007
12:28PM
Age: 24
Location
PA
Matthew! Hey, I think it's the heaviest album of the year too. So EAT IT!

Oh yeah..Of me Nobody Is Safe FUCKING SLAYS.

Music Blog.
Depths blog. (my band)

babarm87
06/23/2007
01:38PM
Location
Los Angeles
the heaviest album of the year is by far Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline.

postrockpaperscissors

tim
06/24/2007
12:16AM
Age: 29
Location
Green Brook, NJ
i haven't heard this album but i'm not really into isis much. i don't really like being bored to death when i listen to metal, which is why i don't really listen to doom or stoner metal, either (except swallow the sun because they make me want to kill you).
Sins Of Arcadia
06/24/2007
03:44PM
Age: 29
Location
Florida, USA
babarm87
the heaviest album of the year is by far Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline.

lmao, excellent post.
Kerwin White
06/25/2007
09:44PM
Age: 27
Location
blockbuster
Someone had this to say to me in response to my reply in this thread in the form of some bad rep

you are a fucking idiot...aren't you late to be fitted for your prom dress?


hahaha, it makes me laugh that I can piss off someone so much they use an insult on me that makes no sense... and the person didnt reveal who they were to boot!

with that said, this band is garbage, sorry
GrindTylerCore
06/26/2007
07:51AM
Location
Olathe, Kansas
i'm just trying to give the records i like a fair shake. i've written for this site a long time and have given 3 and 4 stars to albums that KILL a lot of things other reviewers give 4s and 5s. all you post-rock bandwagon hoppers (this shit has been around for close to two decades idiots) and pop lovers have your reviewers that give your shitty records good scores. so shut up when i give something i like a good score. seriously. thats why this site reviews all different genres and has all different kinds of reviewers.

this will probably make my year end top 10. so it gets a 5. deal with it.
Rick Gebhardt
06/26/2007
08:14AM
Age: 32
Location
Minnesota
Yeah, there are simply way too many high scores given out to mediocre stuff just because reviewers like to listen to it, not because it's actually good. Not saying that's the case here, but just seems that way in general.

Find me EVERYWHERE:




GrindTylerCore
06/26/2007
08:24AM
Location
Olathe, Kansas
agreed. and i have the "can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality on this one. you just can't get people to stop liking bad music.

:)
GrindTylerCore
06/26/2007
08:25AM
Location
Olathe, Kansas
or to quit giving albums they won't care about in five months 4 stars
doomedbydawn
06/27/2007
04:47AM
lol@Despised Icon being heavier than this. I'd agree to this being the heaviest album of the year.

But, 5 stars? That is ridiculous. I can't even conceive how someone who liked their first two albums can think this album is better..it makes no sense to me. Breathing Is Irrelevant shits all over this, to put it mildly. Gone is their complexity and volatility, replaced by an abundance of breakdowns and generic vocals...disappointing. I still like the album for what it is, though.
Dave Spak
06/28/2007
11:25PM
Location
Boston, MA
I really like this album; its my favorite from them and one of the best metal records of the year. That being said, it's definately not a perfect album and I can see why people would disagree with the score. I don't think I heard a metal album this year that deserved more that a 4.

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