Album Review: Dissimulator – Artifice Dissolves
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Dissiumulator’s announcement regarding their upcoming album snuck up on me but I’m mighty excited to see what these tech death/thrash boys from Montreal, Quebec, have cooked up for us. Formed in 2021, Dissimulator take the technical aspect of their sound seriously, originally through their 2021 Warped Demo before realising their potential come the release of their debut full length: 2024’s Lower Form Resistance, an easy standout for that year. Curiously my mind was reaching towards what a follow up to that record would look like and once October 2nd rolls round so will everyone else. Sporting the same roster as Lower Form Resistance, Dissimulator seem poised to take us on another cyber trip, once more backed by 20 Buck Spin, as their technical element takes us to the very limit of the stratosphere.
I took to the production here very easily, for Dissimulator have really honed their sound into something ruthlessly fast yet far from overpowering. Even with the strongly technical element their sound throws out its strangely accessible to listen to; newcomers could approach this record more freely than they could with their last I feel and yet I know from listening that the band have not lessened their technicality. If anything they’ve gone even further with the technicality however it feels interwoven with the overall songwriting so completely one can’t separate the two facets. There’s no instance where the songwriting provides track development with some technical playing on the side to draw people in, they’ve become fused one and the same. With that said, their performance is never so technical they they seem vying towards a particular crowd.
Following on from the production, the band have enabled their bass and drum work to prosper greatly all the while limiting actually how loud they’re presented on record. Listen keenly and you’ll be dazzled at just how fast their basslines are playing at; the sheer speed their bass flies with is stunning and will have you honestly gawking. Speed has been Dissimulator’s crowning strength, their ability to merge rampant tempo with technical playing will keep many invested with this record, and yet it manages to stay within its designated location. Neither bass nor drum work herein tries to break out of their assigned positions but that doesn’t stop their impact from being felt. The bass drums are huge and one can feel their strength at every given moment though you feel the after effect of the kicks. Usually this would see the bass drums taper off into the void with a minimised presence, but owing to the mix Dissimulator’s drums feel present due to how they merge with the bass.
The way Dissimulator write riffs to so effortlessly contain and showcase their technical edge was a driving force behind their last record’s success, and thusly has it been replicated here too. We’ve covered how the band fuse their songwriting with that technicality so it’s not as jarring when the band do break out into wilder territory but, it’s the pace at which they flit in and out of varying degrees of riff complexity and proceed playing as if it were the sole and natural thing they could do in that instance. You’ll be listening to a sequence maybe thirty seconds long and in that timespan the band have thrown maybe seven unexpected moments laced seamlessly. Given their tracks have push six and seven minutes long it guarantees audiences will be continuously entertained and thrown off by anything Dissimulator promise. With that said, there are a myriad of pieces that will have you applying the stank face without difficulty. Dissimulator are here for technical playing yes but they always remember you want it heavy, and on that front they always provide.
It’s perhaps an odd thing to say but I appreciate the vocals for being the extreme, growling force they are without them feeling too harsh on the ears. They’ve certainly been given a particular standing in the mix for whilst the riffs play away the vocals are always front and centre when the two are on stage at the same time. They’re aggravated and possess a scathing impact like fingernails furiously scraping on sandpaper and yet they feel smooth as they hit the record and, by extension, yourself. If this was a choice through the mix it was well though if since the band are already playing rapidly with songwriting relentlessly hellbent on cleaving your brain twixt. It’s that one allowance of comfort, like placing a velvet pillow on a gypsum bed.
In conclusion, Dissimulator prove Lower Form Resistance was no fluke. Artifice Dissolves demonstrates the band’s unique stance on technical death/thrash metal is here to stay and is an integral part of their identity. I think many will look on this record and know it as amongst their top releases for the year; at every turn Dissimulator provide unconventional licks and instances where the guitar work comes alive all the while ripping our sinews asunder with basslines and drumming bursting with savagery. This is all accomplished without the band having to slam their songwriting into your face to get you paying attention; they never try and exaggerate the technical quality their music has. They allow their sound to exist as it is on record and you are left to decide on its quality. All in all, Artifice Dissolves is a shredding experience, one that will have you coming back over and again for that familiar rending sensation.
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