DISSIMULATOR : "Lower Form Resistance"

Canadian death thrashers Dissmulator are fast and intense but they also have the good sense to write catchy songs with mosh-worthy riffing. This album is not just heavy, but it is fun. This is done without creating an upbeat mood, just memorable riffs that are well-arranged. Aside from the science fiction-themed lyrics, they are more like a death metal version of Coroner than anything Voivod-related.      Growled vocals keep them on the death metal side of the fence, aside from the occasional blasting burst they come across as angular thrash. The drummer is a beast who keeps this moving. They begin to incorporate darker moods by the end of "Warped". 

The out-of-the-box thinking can be felt going into the "Outer Phase". They are odd robotic vocals interspersed in the raging fury of the song, but this does not keep it from falling short of what the first two songs brought. It feels a little rushed. There is an interesting solo, and cool riff that it falls upon, but more than cool riffs are needed to make a good song. When these guys into into the thrash side of what they do it is more effective. The growled vocals could be a little more articulate but get the point across. The robo-vocals feel like they want to be Cynic at times. They are no where near as progressive as Cynic. 

It takes five songs in before things get really melodic. There is a morose dissonance before they kick back into warp speed. The vocals begin to feel like an afterthought midway into the album. It is not until the more moshing swing of the time changes that the song grabs you. The touches of synths that drift in are nice touches to give more sonic coloring. "Hyperline Underflow" at times has more groove to it, though it finds itself in a tug of war with the need for speed. This makes things feel more like "Beneath the Remains' era Sepultura. The title track closes the album with a more Megadeth feel when it comes to the technical emphasis, so more thrash than progressive. It proves to be a powerful display, the sung vocals are a good touch to switch things up and not expected. I will give this album a 9 and see how it sits with me, but if you are looking for a convincing album of thrashing death metal then this is for you.It drops the 26th on 20 Buck Spin  

pst7