Canadian masters of metallic hardcore, Ion Dissonance combine precise stop-on-a-dime drumming and a frenetic, muscular guitar attack with songs that assault with the force of a dirty thermonuclear device to create something new and punishing on the metal scene. Ion Dissonance were formed in Montreal, Quebec in mid-2002 by guitarists Sebastien Chaput and Antoine Lussier and drummer J.F. Richard, metal fans interested in taking the music to new sonic extremes. Teaming with vocalist Gabriel McCaughry and bassist Sebastien Painchaud, Ion Dissonance recorded their first demo in the fall of 2002, and it was released to fans under the title .357 by the end of the year. The demo EP earned the band positive press attention and Ion Dissonance began sharing stages with the likes of the Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die and the Black Dahlia Murder. In the spring of 2003, Ion Dissonance began work on their first full-length album, but not before bassist Painchaud left the group, to be replaced by Miguel Valade. Pennsylvania-based metal label Willowtip Records released Ion Dissonance's debut album, Breathing Is Irrelevant, in the fall of 2003, with an American tour following early in 2004. The group continued to tour throughout Canada and the United States through the rest of 2004, though bassist Valade would part company with Ion Dissonance late in the year. In early 2005, Xavier St. Laurent took over on bass, and the band continued their punishing road schedule, taking a break in May to begin work on their second album, Solace, which would be released by Abacus Recordings in September 2005. More roadwork followed, including appearances at many of North America's leading extreme metal festivals, and a split CD with Despised Icon featuring rare demo material was released in June of 2006. That same month, vocalist McCaughry announced he was leaving Ion Dissonance due to creative differences, and in the fall, the band disclosed that Kevin McCaughey, formerly of the group Shaolin, had signed on as their new singer, in time to begin recording on the group's next album, Minus the Herd, which was released by Abacus in June 2007.