Introduction: Despised Icon is a Death Metal band reigning from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. With an emphasis on blistering fast drums and quick guitar riffs, mixed with traditional style break downs. Despised Icon brings a unique and great combination of death metal styles and progression to the table with this ten track beauty, ‘Day Of Mourning‘.
Good: The production on this album right off that bat puts this on the top of any Death Metal lovers favourites. The drums are cleverly mixed in the drummers perspective. Bells, splashes, crashes, snares, and toms in the appropriate ears and mixed well in surround sound. Guitars are panned just right showing each players personal style and signature riff. Both vocalists make this a very heavy and lyrical filled listen. Low growls, high screams, and gang vocals… What else could you ask for? The bass for the most part is in the background, but has a very cool solo moment in the track ‘MVP‘. The overall sound is some of the heaviest riff I’ve heard, but the way it’s played and recorded it doesn’t sound over the top or inaudibly low. Very strong CD all-round.
Bad: The last track on the CD titled ‘Sleepless‘ is left to be desired. It sounds like they were just trying to add a ‘softer‘ song just for the sake of having it. It’s not totally terrible, but it’s for sure not their style. Believe it or not that’s all the ‘bad‘ I could find to write about.
Conclusion: This is a very fast and brutal CD. I would recommend that anyone who remotely enjoys heavy music to pick ‘Day Of Mourning‘ up at their next visit to the CD shop. It’s a very technical and enjoyable listen and will surely be one of the best of this holiday seasons’ releases.
http://www.myspace.com/despisedicon
Nich Longe
November 8th, 2009.
Nich Longe 