Maintaining a high level of intensity and tone throughout an album may sound like a simple task but Montreal’s ION DISSONANCE prove that it’s easier said than done. The whole album is a perpetual, yet somewhat sluggish, moshpit with its slamming, heavy guitars/bass and constant guitar wails and groans. Minus the Herd maintains a sinister, slithering off-tempo that constantly shifts gears, even if the shifts do not result in drastic tempo variances. The album straddles the line between a very prominent MESHUGGAH influence and the heaviest of technical, dissonant metalcore/hardcore. One of the obvious strengths of Minus the Herd is an impending feeling of doom. Plus, it’s clear that they are technically apt to do more than just a competent job at playing in this style. Although most of the first half of the album is more or less MESHUGGAH worship, ION DISSONANCE come more into their own in the second half. ION DISSONANCE definitely achieve what they set out to do, which is to continually grate, bombard, and bludgeon the listen with repetition. Try as you might, you will give in and submit. (Abacus Recordings)