Album Details

• Artist: Despised Icon
• Album: The Ills Of Modern Man
• Label: Century Media
• Year of Release: 2007
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: TheBrokenHeartStillBleeds on 2008-06-05

Despised Icon is a six piece Deathcore band from Montreal. Playing fast, brutal music with often show-offish drums. Slow chuggging to fast triplets are basically all you will get out the guitarists, although there is a few very nice lead parts to some songs like "In The Arms Of Perdition."

Deathcore has never been, and probably never will be, a very well respected genre in metal. Honestly, Despised Icon do it well. But that is the problem. Most bands in said genre do it well...Just as well as the next band, to the point where you cannot differentiate between songs much less bands. There are many things that set Despised Icon apart from the norm. I found the dual vocals very nice, one singer throwing hoarse hardcore yells and grunts while the other gives out the "brees" and low gutteral, almost gut wrenching growls. I honestly can say that the most unique thing  is the vocals. Several songs feature lyrics sung in french, the bands main language.

There are things that irritate just as much as please on this album. Why do break downs need to be so slow!? I can never get an answer, and it is one trend that Despised Icon follows too well. As a whole, this album has a very bleak, dismal atmosphere that pulls the listener in, but stare too long and you might find yourself losing touch. To be enjoyed in moderate, to large doses, with an open mind and a forked toungue.

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