You guys formed in 2024, but there’s already a serious level of intensity and precision here—what was the original vision behind Dissonance, and how quickly did things come together?
Well me and Dustin have been trying to get this going before 2024. We’ve gone through a few lineup changes vocals,bass and drums.
We really didn’t have a distinct idea, for what we wanted to sound like, we just wanted to find talented members and see what happened.
Levi, you’ve got history with bands like Disgorge and Pathology—how did those experiences shape the sound and direction of Dissonance?
Being in those bands gave me a little insight of how to pull it all together, what to look for in members and a little idea of how the whole industry and game works. But in the end it’s a lot of hard work, no matter where you are or where ya came from. It did help me keep us in the right path. And focus for what we need to achieve.
How did this current lineup lock in, and what does each member bring to the sonic attack that makes Dissonance unique?
Well, after a little moment of trying to find local people to play, we came to the conclusion that we’d have to look outside of our area code to finish the line up. Dustin is a really talented guitarist with some amazing lead work. Exhumed came through Knoxville and I spoke with Mike Hamilton the Drummer and Exhumed sound guy was a bass player and actually lived in Knoxville and that’s how we met Nick Zeros our bassist. Jonathan I had known since I was about 18 when I was in Sabbatic Feast in like. 94’ he was in a local band called Dispondacy, down in Louisiana so one day we just crossed paths and he was looking to get into vocals. He was originally a guitar player. He’s living in Colorado, but it still works out with the modern day studio set ups and as far as a Drummer, we’re still looking.
THE SOUND / STYLE
You’re blending death metal and black thrash in a way that feels both old-school and modern—how do you strike that balance without losing the raw aggression?
We try to play what feels right if it makes us happy and we feel like it slammed for us then we just go with it. We don’t have any pre-conceive conditions.
Who are the core influences behind your sound—are we hearing more At The Gates-style melody, or more of that brutal Death/Suffocation energy?
Well, we like the dark harmonic thrash approach as opposed to brutal death metal, we’re just looking to keep a little more melody mixed in with our dissonance but at the same time, be aggressive and disgusting! Our musical influences between the band pretty much cover an entire spectrum. Sometimes we don’t even know what influencers are creeping in. It just happens.
There’s a real sense of chaos but also tight precision—how do you approach songwriting to keep it both punishing and controlled?
Our writing process pretty simple mostly it’s me and Dustin initially we just find a drum sequence to jam two and be inspired by what we bounce off of percussion, once we got a song pretty mapped out we re-order a composition until we’re happy with it and then we get the vocals put on top! But we’re pretty much go into it would open mine. We never know what’s gonna happen in the end.
Let’s talk about the new single—“Induced Mentacide”—that title alone hits hard… what does it mean, and what’s the concept behind the track?
The song is pretty much about the breakdown of the human mind being controlled by the powers that be. Either societal or mass injected. Spreading fear through psychological manipulation.
This track feels relentless from start to finish—was the goal to just overwhelm the listener, or is there a deeper message buried in the aggression?
I wrote the lyrics during the pandemic so it may have a underlining connotation of how I felt about that whole scenario there. The music we just felt the dark harmonic entanglement and it probly not the most aggressive one we have, but it was dark melody so we liked that!
Walk me through the recording process—this thing sounds raw but dialed in. How did you capture that energy in the studio?
Everything is recorded here at my studio, We create a beat we like a lot and go with it. And keep reworking it till we feel like it feels natural. We sauce on it for a little bit, listen to it for a few days or weeks. If we have any more ideas, make a few changes here and there, until everything is I guess how we like it. Then we put vocals on it and if any thing needs changing thats usually where we make the last change.
Bringing in Ricky Myers from Suffocation is a huge move—how did that collaboration come together?
I was in Disgorge with Rick, and knowing him for a really long time. And the fact that he’s doing vocals instead of drums and I’m doing guitars instead of vocals, I just thought it was fitting.
What did Ricky bring to the track that elevated it beyond what you originally envisioned?
Ricky just had such a brutal voice and it just gave us the push and notoriety and appreciate all he’s done for us, he’s absolutely killing it with Suffocation and I’m very proud of him! And I’m honored to have him on Induced Mentacide
Did working with someone from a legendary band like Suffocation push you guys creatively or technically?
Not really the Suffocation guys have been friends with mine since the 90s, they’ve always been a influence on me in every band I’ve been in. They are just part of influence from all the metal that we love throughout the years. That’s why our music will have elements of all the genres and not anything in specific. We like everything from brutal metal to very melodic like At the Gates, We just try to mix it all up
You guys are already making waves in the underground—how do you see Dissonance fitting into today’s extreme metal scene?
I think because of our diversity we
Would meld well with any kind of act rather be death metal/black metal /power metal / or whatever. We think the key is just trying to be a little different, not be anything in particular that way we can not have a limit on our creative level.
What’s your take on the current state of death metal and thrash—are we in a resurgence right now?
I think it’s the best that’s ever been shows are good festivals are awesome. There’s a lot of good music out there. There’s also a lot a lot of music out there so it’s hard to cut through in a way. Music consumption is so much different than when I started in the 90’s.
You’re currently looking for a permanent drummer—what are you looking for in that final piece of the puzzle?
We’re just looking for a dedicated Drummer who’s easy to work with has his own little home studio we’re looking for anyone in the USA really doesn’t have to be any particular state. Someone motivated with the means of getting some music written.
Is this single a standalone release, or are we building toward an EP or full-length album?
Definitely building up to an EP we have one more song we will release as a single “To Live is to Suffer “ Once we find a permanent drummer we’ll finish out the EP
Any plans for touring or live shows—when can fans expect to see Dissonance tearing up stages?
Hopefully, once we find a drummer to work with we’ll be itching to play live
What can fans expect next—more brutality, more technicality, or something totally unexpected?
I think we’re just gonna have a good mixture of everything that’s our goal not to limit ourselves to any genre but to take all the things we like about metal music and just make something happen!
For someone hearing Dissonance for the very first time, what do you want them to take away after listening to “Induced Mentacide”?
just immerse yourself in the music ,
We hope to inspire and give people something to jam to when they sit back and chill to music!
Where can fans go right now to stream the track, follow you, and stay locked in with everything Dissonance has coming?
We have presence on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube BandCamp
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Knoxville’s Dissonance Unleashes Blistering New Single Induced Mentacide Featuring Ricky Myers of Suffocation
Presave/Listen: https://distrokid.com/
Knoxville, TN – Rising death/black thrash forces Dissonance have officially unleashed their devastating new single, Induced Mentacide , via Maelstrom Records . Fans of At the Gates, Death, and Skeletal Remains are in for a punishing, high‑octane ride through relentless riffs and unrelenting aggression.
Formed in 2024 by Levi Fuselier (whose metal roots include stints in brutal death giants Disgorge and Pathology ) and Dustin Hurt , Knoxville‑based Dissonance has quickly made waves in the underground extreme metal scene. The current lineup features Jonathan Joubert on vocals, Fuselier on rhythm guitar, Hurt on lead guitar, and Nick Ziros on bass, with the band seeking a permanent drummer to complete their lineup.
The single features a jaw‑dropping guest appearance by Ricky Myers of Suffocation , adding a layer of technical brutality that takes Induced Mentacide to a new level of intensity. Recorded by Fuselier and Ziros, and mixed and mastered by Fuselier, the track delivers the raw precision and chaos Dissonance has become known for.
“ Induced Mentacide is everything we wanted death and black thrash to feel—raw, punishing, and absolutely unrelenting. Having Ricky on this track pushed us all to the edge,” says Levi Fuselier.
Induced Mentacide is out now and available everywhere. Knoxville’s Dissonance is ready to crush the scene and remind metal fans what true extremity sounds like.
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