Search - Despised Icon :: Healing Process

Great album!

11/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A very drastic change can be heard between Despised Icon's debut album, "Consumed by Your Poison," and The Healing Process. Whereas their first album was straight death/grind, on this album they have incorporated a bit more. With their signature ultra-brutal deathgrind still intact, they throw some hardcore into the mix. They have 2 vocalists, and there are 4 vocal styles present on this record: hardcore shouts, high, agonizing shrieks, deep over the top death growls, and inhaled death growls, which make a sort of whistling sound. All these vocal styles are balanced perfectly throughout each song. As far as the music goes, there are massive breakdowns, insane drumming, terrifying grind parts, technicality, and death metal brutality throughout. The band is sometimes called metalcore, which is of course false. This simply cannot be called metalcore, because musically this album is most in line with grindcore. It has also been dubbed "deathcore," which is a slightly more accurate desciption, but not totally when compared to other deathcore bands like The Red Chord. Despised Icon has straight-out deathgrind, untainted, combined with hardcore, whereas other bands mix it in a much more subtle and less brutal way. Definitely one of the better metal bands around now."

Great crossover/deathcore cd

Greg | Bakersfield, CA United States | 07/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this has everything you want. 2 vocalists, crazy riffs, insane breakdowns, intense blast beats, and much much more. all the songs are great. if you like all shall perish, premonitions of war, or animosty get this. these guys are going to blow up and become your new favorite band"

Best new album of 2005 and it's only April

Robert A. Kossayian | Milpitas, CA United States | 04/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is by far the best new album that will be released this year as far as pure and unadulterated brutal metal/hardcore goes. This Canadian band really stepped up to the plate with their indiemajor label debut "The Healing Process". It's a solid performance from beginning to end, which is a very rare find these days. Honestly, there is not a dud on this disc. Amazon's "Album Description" lists a few bands that are quite dead on when it comes to describing the sound. It's a mixture of grindcore, death metal, and hardcore, all extreme genres that sometimes do not blend well. Despised Icon have found the winning formula, however. They brutally violate roaring deathmetal vocals with pounding doublebass and insane tech-metal guitar, and then layer mosh-worthy hardcore breakdowns with throaty battle cries that come deep from the chest and would make Hatebreed or Bleeding Through fans proud.



Some standout tracks are "Silver Plated Advocate", "Retina" and "Harvesting the Deceased". One of the most standout moments is during "Retina", where Despised Icon make history by becoming the first deathmetal/core band to use crowd singalongs on CD. This was a genius move, as they just add to the diversity on this disc and go perfect with the song. It makes me want to see them live just *that much* more.



Bottom line is that this disc will appeal to a very diverse yet massive crowd. Death metal, grindcore, and hardcore fans can finally unite over a band we can all kickbox and fingerpoint to but still hairwhip and mosh to. Amazon's "Album Description" is right on, but they should've mentioned Ion Dissonance, Cryptopsy, The Haunted, Hatebreed, All Shall Perish and Bleeding Through as some bands they are influenced by and sound like as well. They have done a fine job solidifying themselves with all the distinguished names they are mentioned with, and this is by far a genre-defying, bar-raising album, and one of the best debuts I've ever come across. You will want to keep your eyes on these guys for sure."