"Dissonance" is the third and final installment of METEORA's trilogy of EPs which began in 2025 with "In the Silence" followed by "Broken Mind." The trilogy explores what it means to live through our current socio-political strife, and it does so in a highly personal way bringing us face-to-face with the emotional and psychological dissonance such times  can stir in us.  The EPs was released on January 23, 2026 via H-Music, and corresponded with the release of the full-length album, "Darkest Light," which collects all three EPs in the trilogy.

While "In the Silence" and "Broken Mind" seemed to focus on the internal effects of strife, "Dissonance" cracks the mirror and steps through to the other side, exploring the more tangible impacts on reality. In "Shadows of Ignorance," for example, we are implored to "Tear down the walls / Reverse the fall / Break the chains of ignorance." In this way it feels much more visceral than the previous episodes—certainly the heaviest of the lot, featuring more harsh vocals courtesy of bassists Máté Fülöp and getting deeper into the heavy riffage. Parts of the album are borderline Death, though admittedly Melodic.

A lot of bands verge into preachy didactics when tackling socio-political themes, sacrificing music for the sake of a lecture. METEORA avoids this pitfall, mostly through some excellent songwriting and leveraging highly versatile musicianship. They even bring in Nils Courbaron (SIRENIA) to provide a scorching solo on "Darkest Light."

With a four-track EP, it seems unfair to pick standouts, so I'll just do a quick rundown of each track. Track one, "Darkest Light," captures the essence of what dissonance is all about—e.g. the tension between contrasting forces. In this case it is dissonance of the mind as well as dissonance between personal ethics and the external state. "Shadows of Ignorance," track two, excels with some gorgeous signature vocals from Noémi Holló juxtaposed with Máté's harsh vocals. And also, the keyboards on this one just keep reminding us that life can be better. 

If you prefer the heavier side of metal, track three, "Dissonance – My Reality part IV," will be your stop. And the fourth and final track, "Witch Hunt - Tragedy of Delusion, Pt. III," covers the entire gamut from brutal riffs to triumphant synths to both harsh and clean vocals in a full-on battle. This last track is over nine minutes long, so it has a lot of sonic real estate to work with.

Breaking the storyline of "Darkest Light" into three distinct EPs has helped to distinguish the borders between each stage of narrative. For those who prefer one long fluid story, the full album may be in your future. But I love the optionality METEORA built into this project. You can do episodic or you can do binge, your choice. Personally, I like the slow-drip approach because it offers incubation time. Either way, "Dissonance" is a satisfying final installment to the "Darkest Light" trilogy.