CURSED

This album again marks a shift in style for Ion Dissonance, probably also due to their then new label Century Media, usually focussed on generic deathcore. And indeed the band has now strapped on the obligatory 8-string guitars and utilises a heavily triggered drum sound. Luckily, the result is not as generic and boring as one may have feared. "Cursed" is a very heavy and aggressive record, which continues the humorously tinted titles and lyrics. In between the low-tuned shredding it contains some music that resists the simplicity of deathcore breakdowns and blastbeats and pays heed to the "Mathcore" label.

With very slick production it may still seem very chaotic and noisy in parts but that was surely intended. This shift in sound probably made them more accessible to the new-generation metal audience who cherish everything that bears the "-core" label and has low tuned guitars but I do not think that they have given up their identity for it. A brutal record that is surely not everyone's cup of tea but should not alienate fans of the band's sound on the previous two albums too much an makes a great addition to the varied ID-discography.