DISSONA - Receptor

DISSONA

Album: Receptor

Genre: Progmetal

Release Date: October 1st, 2025

Country: USA

Label: Earache Distribution

Band Links: WEBSITE / BANDCAMP / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

Chicago based Progmetal band DISSONA (whose name is a portmanteau of the words “dissonant” and “persona”) caught me in 2023 with their epic, Blade Runner-inspired EP "Dreadfully Distinct", so I was really looking forward to their new record since it was announced earlier this year. "Receptor" saw the light of day on October 1st, set to take its listeners on a wild, dystopian ride. While the album was released after the EP, the songs were already written beforehand, but refined and finalized afterwards.  

The title track takes us into their mighty soundscapes, building up a dark, suspenseful atmosphere through the cinematic background orchestration, powerful guitar work and pushing yet varied drumming. The anthemic vocals are again absolutely remarkable, and get a beautiful, female counterpart during the first song.

Dissona build up their music with a great dynamic growing and falling like waves, with huge harmonic layers and various instrumentation, also offering more quiet sections that give the listener a moment to breath without losing tension. While "Suffuse" stays in the heavy veins like "Receptor" after an oriental sounding introduction, "Becoming Home" is a light, melancholic piano piece. 

My favorite track is clearly "Incisor", starting with a cembalo intro that gets taken over by modern, electronic sounds. The verse is dominated by the mighty "Dissona style", seamlessly moving into a groovy techno part, before the band joins again. 

"Haimatox" is another cineastic interlude, then "I Will Drown" sees me a bit divided. It feels like literally drowning into their music, as all of their elements that worked so well together before are now too much. So I'd say the artistic expression is fitting to the title, but it's the track I tend to skip after a while. Afterwards, the huge organ intro for "Weaponized" grabs my attention back, and we're ready for the final third, where their ingredients fall into the right places again.

All-together, "Receptor" is best described as epic, and even though there's the one or other length in between, it is a really strong album. The mix of classical and contemporary instrumentation melted into the Metal context is amazing, also showing off into the band's playfulness and through the well-balanced, yet full-sounding production. Recommended for fans of Science Fiction sound tracks and modern Progmetal. 

Written by Katha

Track-List:

1. Receptor
2. Suffuse
3. Becoming Home
4. Incisor
5. Haimatox
6. It Will Drown
7. Chimeric
8. Weaponized
9. Red Mist
10. Shadow Consummation
11. In Dawn’s Wake

Bonus Tracks (on physical release):
12. Polymelia
13. Lit Window

Line-Up:

David Dubenic – Vocals
Matt Motto – Guitar
Craig Hamburger – Bass
Drew Goddard – Drums

Discography:

Receptor - 2025

Dreadfully Distinct  (EP) - 2023

Paleopneumatic - 2016

Self-Titled - 2012