Having called it quits back in 2010 then reunited in 2014 for several shows, Canadian deathcore masters Despised Icon officially make their welcomed return with new album, Beast. The highly anticipated release marks the Montreal, QC-based band's fifth full-length and debut for Nuclear Blast, which sees them fully embracing the sub-genre they defined throughout the 2000s alongside peers like Suicide Silence, All Shall Perish, Carnifex, Whitechapel and Job for a Cowboy.
Featuring all of the brutality, technical flourishes and heaviest of breakdowns that Despised Icon are known for, the aptly titled album crushes throughout. "The Aftermath" starts things off with raging speed and visceral aggression, including the iconic dual vocal delivery from Alex Erian and Steve Marois, which is as intense as ever. Tracks like "Inner Demons" and "Drapeau Noir" exhibit the band's technical prowess, while "Bad Vibes" and "Grind Forever" showcase relentlessly vicious, slamming grooves.
Combining the fundamental deathcore elements from their roots with the more modern approach heard on 2009's Day of Mourning, Beast lives up to Despised Icon's revered past releases while revitalizing what has become an arguably stagnant and prosaic sub-genre.
(Nuclear Blast)Featuring all of the brutality, technical flourishes and heaviest of breakdowns that Despised Icon are known for, the aptly titled album crushes throughout. "The Aftermath" starts things off with raging speed and visceral aggression, including the iconic dual vocal delivery from Alex Erian and Steve Marois, which is as intense as ever. Tracks like "Inner Demons" and "Drapeau Noir" exhibit the band's technical prowess, while "Bad Vibes" and "Grind Forever" showcase relentlessly vicious, slamming grooves.
Combining the fundamental deathcore elements from their roots with the more modern approach heard on 2009's Day of Mourning, Beast lives up to Despised Icon's revered past releases while revitalizing what has become an arguably stagnant and prosaic sub-genre.