Established in 2002, Despised Icon grew
from Montreal’s underground into one of the core architects of deathcore, a
group that helped shape the genre before most people even settled on the term.
Over the years they kept their foundation steady, the same crew sharpening
their craft without drifting from the intensity that defined them in the first
place. Their return with “Shadow Work” arrives after six years of silence, a
long gap for a band known for steady output, and it captures them in a mature
phase, channeling years of experience into a focused burst of aggression.
“Shadow Work” has an
introspective thread, orbiting around resilience, struggle, and the long road
of confronting the darker corners of the mind. The band approaches this theme
with blunt honesty, keeping the storytelling grounded and human. Instead of
drifting into grand metaphors, the lyrics cut straight to emotional survival,
frustration and personal rebuilding. That directness gives the album a raw
atmosphere, something that suits Despised Icon’s
style without weighing it down with melodrama.
The production from Alex Erian and Eric
Jarrin, mixed and mastered by Christian
Donaldson, keeps everything tight and punishing, never muddy or thin.
The artwork by Eliran Kantor fits the
atmosphere, grim and psychological without turning theatrical. “Shadow Work”
may not drag the genre into a new era, yet it stands as a solid chapter from
veterans who still fire on instinct, staying true to the power they built their
name on decades ago.
Score: 7.5
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