The Pitch: After a six year wait, Canadian mathcore legends Ion Dissonance return to keep things as violent and heavy as possible.
What I Like: The riffs, basswork, drumming, and production on this album are pulverizing from the first few seconds. These guys do not f#@k around or otherwise waste time. It's right to the point with a spin kick to the forehead; an effect aided further by the abrasive, confrontational lyrics. As such, tracks are mostly kept short which only deepens the impact to leave us with more bruises and broken bones. That having been said, the nearly 9 minute "(D.A.B.D.A.)" is no slouch either. I also really dig the dark atmosphere, which actually reminds me of early Meshuggah albums.
What I Don't Like: At times the album devolves into a bit of sameness for me. I may just need to give it a few more listens to really get into the finer points given how dense and chaotic the musicianship is.
The Verdict: Cast The First Stone delivers just what it promises in the title. It's more of a boulder, really. These guys have still got it, and hopefully the younger generation of mathcore fans will now be reminded of where they truly come from. Their best album yet.
Flight's Fav's: "Burdens," "Suffering," "Ill Will"