365 Days of Metal: A Curse Upon You

Day 34

Ion Dissonance - Cursed

Band Origin: Montreal, Quebec, USA
Genre: Mathcore / Deathcore
Label: Century Media
Running Time: 42 minutes
Release Date: August 24, 2010

Best Part: The Bonus track Pallor is an interesting shift in pace.

Favorite Tracks: This is the Last Time I Repeat Myself, Can Someone Please Explain This to Me, You People Are Messed Up, and We Like to Call This One... Fuck Off

Grade: 3.5

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Cursed in 20 words or less:

A return after a three year hiatus featuring copious amounts of intensity, brutality and dissonance - of course.

The Band:

Ion Dissonance is a five member band out of Montreal who blend together the insanity, technicality and speed of mathcore with the down low brutality of deathcore, creating a real musical meat grinder. After changing vocalists in 2006 the band released their third record, Minus The Herd which had a much more brutal deathcore focus over the anarchy and intensity of their sophomore album Solace, regarded as being their best album. After Minus the Herd Ion Dissonance went on hiatus until 2010 when they released Cursed, in a true return to their original form, but also incorporating some new technical elements, as well as some 8-string guitar work to the mix.

Ion Dissonance's other releases include: Breathing Is Irrelevant (2003), Solace (2005), and Minus the Herd (2007)

Jay's Take on Cursed:

Cursed was released by Ion Dissonance following a three year hiatus where the band looked to focus on other things than music, including work and family. This time away from touring and music also helped the band re-tune their musical focus after releasing Minus the Herd, which was not a bad record at all, but went in a heavier direction that was more akin to direct deathcore than anything else. Cursed returns Ion Dissonance back to the form they displayed with the release of Solace: A frenetic, mentally unbalanced mix of mathcore and deathcore that stays technical, unpredictable and brutal all at the same time. The addition of 8-string guitars adds to the low end, and the heaviness of the sound, noticeable on tracks such as This is The Last Time I Repeat Myself, it adds a nice groove, and a crisper feel to their intense sound without over-saturating the overall product.

Sample of the Day:



- J