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Ion Dissonance - Minus The Herd

Tuesday, 04 December 2007

Editor's rating

6.5

out of 10

Reviewed by:
Chad Coup
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Tuesday, 04 December 2007
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Music Information

Track Listing:
01. The Surge
02. Through Evidence
03. Kneel
04. Shunned Redeemer
05. You Shouldn't Be Alive
06. Scorn Haven
07. Of Me...Nobody Is Safe
08. Untitled
09. Void Of Conscience
10 .Tarnished Trepidation

Artist: Ion Dissonance
Title: Minus The Herd
Genre: Hardcore
Release Date: 05 June 2007
Record Label: Abacus Recordings
Format: Full-length
Country: Canada
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Editor review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful


Overall rating (weighted)		6.5
Musicianship		7.0
Composition		6.0
Experimentation		6.0
Production		7.0
Value		7.0

This record is a new beginning for ID. There is a new vocalist present but there is also new musical intent. For starters, anybody looking for a sequel to 'Breathing Is Irrelevant' or 'Solace' is out of luck. This is a new record and band entirely. The first twenty seconds of "The Surge" clue the listener in as to what the new sound is. It's heavy. It's chuggy. It's slower. It's simpler. I should be more disappointed, but I'm not somehow. Even before 'Solace' came out, Gab.357 (original vocalist/lyricist) said the record was going to be less tech and more brutal. I'm glad I found out early; this album would have been even more disappointing.

The music is still ID, though...but it's just non-stop chugs. I suppose they wanted their audience to "interact" more, so they decided to go this route. The record is the soundtrack for every mosher in the world. The new vocals by Kevin McCaughey are ballsy and lend to the recording well, but he doesn't sound as completely pissed off as Gab did. He's not as proficient when delivering the odd talk-to-a-scream stuff found on the earlier albums. Gab's influence is still found on this record in the form of the lyrics. I haven't got a chance to read them yet, but I'm sure they're hilariously awesome.

This record isn't bad. It's just not really memorable. I can vividly remember both previous records...but this one is so generic-sounding at times that I can't get into it. See, there is a ton of groove present and a lot of people will dig that. ID does pull it off well, because they at least use technical breakdowns to get their point across. But groove isn't what Ion does best. Ion, to me, is supposed to be the most vehement tech metal around. Other tracks, such as "You Shouldn't Be Alive" and "Tarnished Trepidation" are so base they're stunning in their own right.

Even though this record doesn't stand up at all as an "Ion Dissonance" record, it still is a pretty good metalcore album. Everyone involved, from the drum department to the guitars are still having fun and playing technical stuff, but compared to their previous records, the tone and intensity is totally different. What was uncontrolled rage and ferocity is now chunkier and even lethargic at times. Those who dig into this type of hardcore music, the type that favors groove and balance over experimentation, will probably really dig this album. It's the best metalcore release of 07, by far, as this record has a shortage of silly European melo-death wankerings and excessive china cymbal abuse.

For the hardcore ID fans...a lot of them will be let down. ID will get even more popular with this album, which is a good thing. They are talented musicians trying to survive in a shitty, shitty market. They do have their identity intact still, unlike some other technical bands that changed their sound.

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