Style: Technical thrash metal, progressive metal, death metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Voivod, Vektor, Death, Revocation, Atheist
Country: Canada
Release date: 2 October 2026

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We’re fucked, aren’t we? With a researcher recently declaring a 10% chance that AI will destroy humanity in the near future, I guess we’re supposed to be ok with the powers that be saying the machine-led apocalypse probably won’t happen? Insert the “This is fine” dog meme. Montreal’s Dissimulator bring a fresh, jagged brand of hyper-kinetic progressive thrash that provides the perfect soundtrack to the accelerated and threatening evolution of AI for modern times. The Canadian three-piece sport quite an impressive resumé, with current or past members of Worm, First Fragment, Chthe’ilist, and Beyond Creation (to name a few) and follow up their frenetically propulsive 2024 debut Lower Form Resistance with their second full-length release, Artifice Dissolves.

Continuing where they left off with their debut, Dissimulator exude volatility through guitarist and vocalist Claude Leduc’s wild and angular riffs. Like a rapidly infiltrating cyber-attack probing for system vulnerabilities, Leduc’s rampaging licks constantly shift and metamorphosize. Opener “Apophenic Rage” demonstrates how Leduc and drummer Phillipe Boucher effortlessly transform instrumental phrases from light-speed thrash to galloping grooves and back via tempo and rhythmic pattern alterations. A consistent frantic mania drives Dissumulator’s instrumentation via Leduc furiously zig-zagging across the fretboard with off-kilter riffs and torrential tremolo picking. While the standard thrash and death metal approach is to palm-mute speedily picked segments, Leduc commonly churns through rapid passages with open-picking, resulting in a blistering and urgent barrage of modern thrash. Hints of their influences are sprinkled throughout Artifice Dissolves, with the “Alloyed” mid-track blur of a lick bringing to mind a more chaotic version of Slayer’s “Postmortem”.

When Dissimulator decide to slow down the tempo (as much as a feral thrash band can, that is), they do so without dropping their volatility. “Hungry Ghosts” finds Leduc transforming a mid-paced, straightforward stomp into an addicting and groovy-as-fuck riff by bouncing on his tremolo bar like a trampoline. Rhythmic and tempo changes occur frequently though Artifice Dissolves flows fluidly, with Dissimulator avoiding fragmentation from their abrupt pivots. In “Artifice Dissolves”, the Canadians transform a chaotic, bursting-at-the-seams opening riff to a grinding halt by gradually slowing down the lick phrase by phrase, only to burst forward again with the sound of a machine undergoing a system reboot to ensure optimum performance. Leduc uses his lead passages to further build the futuristic sci-fi atmosphere rather than highlighting his technical skill (which is clearly evident from his rhythmic performance). The opening of “Proprioceptor” and the interlude “Dusk” find his guitar groaning and mournfully wailing to drive home the unsettling background to the album.

While Leduc’s six-string performance is consistently center stage, Boucher’s relentless double bass and unorthodox tom fills are Dissimulator’s foundational hardware. Leduc’s riffs slice with a sharper edge thanks to Boucher’s dynamic drumming. As guitar phrases are introduced in isolation, Boucher’s backing symbol work steadily builds tension to swirling peaks. The full breadth of Boucher’s capabilities is on full display in “Neon Metropolis”, where his ability to transition on a dime between blistering blastbeats, mid-tempo grooves, and unrelenting double bass pounding is jaw-dropping; his cymbal work at the mid-point of “Robostrobos” is satisfyingly reminiscent of Death’s classic “Crystal Mountain”.

Leduc’s growls are intermittently transformed into electronic chants which effectively double down on the futuristic sci-fi feel that permeates Artifice Dissolves. While Dissimulator provide a nearly flawless performance, the impact is blunted a tad by the production. Antoine Daigneault’s bass is rendered nearly inaudible for the majority of the album behind Leduc’s overwhelmingly loud guitar. This is a shame since Daigneault’s delivery, when audible like in “Proprioceptor”, adds a fittingly dynamic contrast to Leduc’s riffage. Speaking of the overly loud guitar, Leduc’s tone at times comes across a bit flat, perhaps intentionally as a call back to the old school thrash sound. Lastly, as a minor squabble, Artifice Dissolves screams for an abrupt and jarring conclusion, instead closing track “Robostrobos” unsatisfyingly, and unfittingly, fades out—a cliché I wish to eliminate from progressive metal albums. 

Artifice Dissolves is an excellent follow up to Lower Form Resistance (which is still a regular in my rotation), with Dissimulator radiating a palpable urgency and volatility to their brand of progressive thrash. With a memory board stocked full of memorable riffs that are well-sequenced, Artifice Dissolves is impeccably paced and likely having you hit repeat over and over again once the final note concludes. If we are entering the AI-led apocalypse, at least we have a hell of a soundtrack. 

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Recommended tracks: Apophenic Rage, Hungry Ghosts, Neon Metropolis
You may also like: Cryptic Shift, Xoth, Ancient Death, Miscreance, Aenigmatum
Final verdict: 8/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: 20 Buck Spin Records

Dissimulator is:
– Phillipe Boucher (drums)
– Claude Leduc (guitar, vocals)
– Antoine Daigneault (bass)
With guests:
– Laurent Bellemare (additional vocals in “Artifice”, “Alloyed”, and “Proprioceptor”)