These Canadian bruisers have had their fingers in many metal pies over the years but Despised Icon appears to be their main sustenance. It is easy to knock modern death metal bands when said bands add that slamming breakdown tinge you either like or despise (pun intended). Personally I’ve always enjoyed hearing fresh blood in death metal and having witnessed Despised Icon play on the Never Say Die tour last year their devastating death metal and speed beggars belief at times.
The slamming start to ‘Les Temps Changent’ lulls you to thinking this is to be a slower affair with chugs and gwoars in full assault mode, but you’d be wrong as the clinical blast and Cannibal Corpse guitar inflections are spiced with Dying Foetus’ technical skill. I’m not overly keen on the gang chanted core vocalising on the title track which are superseded by ultra fast mechanical blasts on ‘MVP’ and balanced by an equally fast double bass workout. The expected beatdown works a treat in dropping the pace, perfect for those young lads (lasses don’t seem keen on ruffling their hair) to flex their wind milling arms into action. Heaviness abounds in ‘All For Nothing’, with more gang chanted vocal lines and a huge Pantera riff very similar to ‘Cowboys From Hell’ some way in that made me a little uneasy though it was probably unintentional.
Deathcore pops up regularly on this release but there’s no taking away that hyperspeed drum work and technical adeptness is damn impressive every song. ‘Made Of Glass’ has a furious pace and a guttural demonic voice and a beat that reminds of Chimaira’s very heavy earlier material. As with most modern death metal the production is immaculate making the album sound too clinical and safe rather than being dangerous and rabidly intense. Arguably this kind of production is required such is the speed that the music is played at. There also seems to be a trend within this scene for ending albums with a slower more extended song that brushes against bands like Cult Of Luna and The Ocean, which is no bad thing for variety but best to stick to what you do best, pummelling devastating death metal that will cleave your head off which this does for the most part.
http://www.despisedicon.com
http://www.myspace.com/despisedicon
