ALBUM REVIEW: Purgatory – Despised Icon

There was once a time when DESPISED ICON were at the forefront of an exciting genre movement. With them, alongside JOB FOR A COWBOY and ANTAGONY, they pioneered a brutalising new deathcore sound that was vicious and out for nothing but blood and violence. DESPISED ICON, over their career, have been one of the best examples of the brute force that can come from forging the extremes of everything into one weapon that does it’s best to destroy the competition. From beatdown, to slam, to death metal, DESPISED ICON’s DNA is something to behold, and the fact they only really get better with each release makes them a genuinely formidable band. 

Beast, their last outing, reminded everyone just why they were so revered back before the turn of the decade, and now at the turn of another they are back to lay down a thunderous smackdown. One that would make The Rock proud. Purgatory is the sixth album from the Canadian troupe, and they really aren’t fucking around here. The title tracks sends this record off at light speed, and with the power of a jackhammer. The mix is thick, and weighted, and when combined with the buzz saw riffage the band have made somewhat of a trademark, Purgatory becomes a hulking behemoth of a record. Light Speed and Snake In The Grass both possess a primal energy to them; the venom that seeps through the speakers is one of the best things about this record, and it’s thanks to the brilliant double vocal delivery of Steve Marois and Alex Erian. 

Where previous albums felt disconnected, or felt like they lacked cohesion, Purgatory feels focussed and ready to rip your throat out. The drumming of Alex Pelletier is the best it has ever been, with the suffocating blasts of Unbreakable keeping the song stuck firmly in fifth gear. There has never been any relenting with DESPISED ICON, but even here the band seem to be a different beast entirely. From the word go Purgatory never slows, save only for the minor intro to Moving On, and even then the song erupts into a flurry of violence that only a band like this could achieve. The song boasts a more sample driven conclusion as well, with synths floating through the mix as the song enters it’s climax. 

Purgatory broadens the vein of influence that DESPISED ICON mine from for the better. With moments of clarity coming as a result of breaks in the music where the band are able to call upon some more classic death metal style riffs. Failing this, it’s obvious now how good DESPISED ICON are at their craft, and their manipulation of tempo helps keep Purgatory from feeling stale at any point. 

Even after five previous albums, DESPISED ICON are still getting better. Beast was a welcome return from the musical pioneers, but Purgatory is where the band establish themselves, again, as the premier band within their scene. This album not only assert their dominance over deathcore, but also shows that they have grown from their original labelling into an extreme band for the ages. Fans of the band should rejoice, and anyone who enjoys fast, brutal music owes it to themselves to at least check this record out, even in this current year of music, because this is one of the better heavy records to drop this year. This is a ferocious album that oozes extremity. 

Rating: 9/10

Purgatory is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.

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