Ion Dissonance "Breathing is Irrelevant" CD
[Willowtip]
I was pretty into this band's two-song demo (both songs from which have been re-recorded here), and everything that I stated about the demo stands for this full-length. I really think Ion Dissonance is actually starting to represent a "Canadian sound" to some degree, as there are so many bands from Canada playing this technical and flashy brand of math metal/metalcore type stuff, and some of it is starting to sound distinctly Canadian at this point. At times the rhythmic nature of this music (complete with some awesome chugging panning between the guitar parts) reminds me of Meshuggah when they were still at the top of their game. There's a lot of great interaction between instruments, each piece working independently to create intricate layers and form a whole. I love the vicious mosh breaks, they're far better than those of most comparable bands because they get fucked with just enough to keep it interesting. "Binary, Part II" is the real standout, starting abruptly with some jazzy passages and plodding chord progressions that harness a lot more power than the general speed of the band's work. I think the super abrasive shrieking vocal screams can get irritating, but thankfully most of the screams rest in a tolerable upper midrange. I'd be lying if I said there weren't dull moments here, as the band does hit on that crazy go nuts "Hey, let's get wild!" sort of complexity that doesn't always make a whole lot of sense or add to the compositions (see "Oceanic Motion"), but they've got the musicianship and the general sense of writing ability necessary to get by. The recording is a little off, but barely. The drums are sort of overly punchy and the guitars are somewhat abrasive and lacking in crunch (though oddly the distortion has an overproduced sort of thud on occasion). I like the really defined bass tone that's oft used by bands with somewhat of a technical/jazzy influence, but I think it needs more depth. That depth combined with a warmer, more cohesive mix would be a big help (as would chucking those shrieking aspects of the vocal delivery). Not unlike their demo, the visual presentation here proves that the band does indeed carry with them a strong visual aesthetic, and this is the best looking release yet from Willowtip. Everything is in black and white, printed entirely on matte paper, with lots of layered text and interesting photography, as well as all of the lyrics compactly crammed into the booklet. Lyrically things are fairly unusual, with some tracks ending up far more interesting than others: "Ahhh, there it is, my 4th floor morning view of a sunlit back alley. Down there, an ant-like man is wandering, nervously looking all around, back and forth, and once the tension is gone, sure that nobody's there (unaware that he's being started at), unzips his pants and ungraciously exposes himself in order to piss his way through my alley... I am almost as relieved as he, once he's finished, but for obvious different reasons. Happily confined, thoroughly hollow and unfulfilled. I think I'll go back to sleep. (Is it possible to be sea-sick on firm ground?)" I'm slightly worried that the two older songs from the demo are among the best tracks herein, which makes me wonder if the band is going to keep heading down the road to inane complication, but they've got all the necessary devices to make this shit work perfectly, so I hope they take advantage. (7/10)
Running time - 32:05, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Substantial Guilt vs. the Irony of Enjoying, The Bud Dwyer Effect, Binary, Part II, The Girl Nextdoor is Always Screaming...]
Willowtip - http://www.willowtip.com

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