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DISSIMULATOR “Artifice Dissolves”
DISSIMULATOR “Artifice Dissolves”
By Dr. Abner Mality
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the return of Montreal’s DISSIMULATOR since I was blown into infinity by their amazing 2024 debut “Lower Form Resistance”, which wound up being my #2 album for that year. And it didn’t miss #1 by much! Was that going to be a one and done or would the tech-thrash androids return for more mayhem?
Well, here they are, so the question becomes…does “Artifice Dissolves” reach the incredibly high standard of the debut? I’m still juggling the response in my head, but the good news is that this is yet another excellent assault of sci-fi tinged thrashing insanity. I would say this new one leans a bit more into classic thrash than the more death metallish debut, but the aggression and the constant riff attack is still here in spades! The first two tracks, “Apophenic Rage” and “Hungry Ghosts” blast through the cosmos and set the Van Allen radiation belt on fire. I described the band’s approach on “Lower Form Resistance” as a collision of VOIVOD, CORONER and MESHUGGAH. On “Artifice Dissolves”, the CORONER influence is still pretty prevalent, but the VOIVOD angularity and MESHUGGAH chunkiness have pulled back a bit, favoring pure thrash out of the KREATOR or DARK ANGEL variety.
Of course, the band retains their sci-fi inspired aspects which included processed robotic vocals, appropriate dashes of 80’s synth sounds and an indefinable kind of “Blade Runner” vibe, best heard on the title track and the excellent “Neon Metropolis”. They will occasionally indulge in a kind of CYNIC jazziness but the overwhelming emphasis is on speed and catchy technical riffing, which you can find on all tracks except the laidback “Dusk”.
So yeah, DISSIMULATOR is back and they mean business. If you loved the debut, you will enjoy the follow up. And if you haven’t heard them yet, then jump on the bullet train and prepare for a jolt of cosmic lightning!
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