Never mess with Despised Icon.
Formed in 2002 in Canada, the band laid the foundation for Deathcore with their debut album. Despite a four-year absence between 2010 and 2014, Steve Marois (vocals), Eric Jarrin (guitar, Heaven’s Cry), Alex Erian (vocals, The Crimson Syndicate, ex-Obey the Brave), Sebastien Piché (bass), Alex Grind (drums) and Ben Landreville (guitar) return and release two more albums. In 2022, the band celebrates its twentieth anniversary with Déterré, a new EP, released by Nuclear Blast.
Warm Blooded immediately throws us down with efficient jerky riffs and a duo of vocalists in great shape who answer each other on aggressive and catchy riffs, mixing massive screams and Hardcore influences accompanied by some technical points. The band will adopt the same recipe for Bulletproof Scales and its energetic rhythmic, letting some sharp lead parts create a contrast with the groovy basis and the bright harmonics, then One Last Martini will come to feed the rage with an unbridled and uncontrollable violence. An explosion will speed riffs again before placing a massive break, followed by a new acceleration inspired by Grindcore, while the band draws in Mathcore for Oval Shaped Incisions and its crazy harmonics, without forgetting the simple yet extremely effective moshparts. We will find this same abrasive rage on Sever The Tied, the last composition, which reveals us an uninterrupted surge of violence illustrated by blast, straightforward riffs and aggressive screams to close the EP.
Whether it’s fast or slower, it’s only with violence that Despised Icon expresses itself. Although it is quite short, Déterré allows us to realize the band’s strength, which seems determined to make the pits explode.
85/100