“Loathe thy cerebral prison.”
Whether you’re a diehard fan of deathcore or you’d rather listen to just about anything else, you’ve almost certainly heard the name Despised Icon muttered once or twice. Emerging at the dawn of the 2000s, the long-running Canadian destroyers have been around for nearly as long as the genre itself, consistently churning out high-quality releases until the sun set on the 2000s around 2010. It’s here that the band would unfortunately call it quits; whether this would be a permanent arrangement is a question that’s long since been answered, but regardless, it left fans wondering if we might ever see a reunion of some kind, live or otherwise. In 2016, following news of such a reunion, we were introduced to Beast, the Montreal sextet’s first offering in 7 years since 2009’s aptly titled Day of Mourning. They went on to retain this momentum going forward, releasing Purgatory in 2019; yet once again, at the dawn of a new decade, this would be the last studio affair we’d consume for another 6 years.
Like clockwork, Despised Icon went into hibernation again at the turn of their second decade as a band; however, we can likely blame the COVID-19 pandemic this time around. In any case, there was never any mention of a second split; thus, it was safe to assume the prolific deathcore act would emerge once again, likely sometime around the mid-2020s if history taught us anything. And now, once again like clockwork, we have Shadow Work, an eleven-track endeavor that ensures Despised Icon will remain in the deathcore hall of fame for all eternity, despite their repeated absences from the scene.
While their lengthy album cycles might have you believe otherwise, Despised Icon are nothing if not consistent on the musical front. Now seven albums deep into their career, the Quebecois act continues to hone their long-since-established brand of hardcore and technical death metal-infused deathcore, immediately made apparent with Shadow Work’s titular opener; a brief yet multi-faceted cut that exemplifies the most treasured elements of Despised Icon’s repertoire. Heavy, dark, brooding, and yet surprisingly melodic, it sets the tone of the album perfectly as it shifts between technical and melodic death metal passages and tried-and-true deathcore breakdowns, where Steve Marois and Alex Erian shine especially bright in their dual vocal assault. An epic guitar solo tops it off, something that’s been sorely missed from recent material such as Beast and Purgatory. However, “Shadow Work” keeps some of the album’s cards close to its chest, leaving some surprises for later in the tracklist so as not to lose out on all of its steam early on.
Lead single “Over My Dead Body” featuring Kublai Khan TX’s Matt Honeycutt is one such example, where Despised Icon’s meticulously crafted, multi-element sound elevates one such element above the rest; that being the group’s hardcore influence. In fact, there is so little deathcore in this track, what with the notable absence of Marois’ pig squeals and Alex Pelletier’s fierce blast beats that it might be fair to say that it is the band’s first ever pure hardcore song in the flesh (minus the vocals, naturally), and while certainly a little jarring at first, it’s a welcome shake up nonetheless. The vocals are also a highlight once again, as Alex Erian trades off with Matt Honeycutt in the track’s middle section, making for one of the most memorable moments on the record.
Deeper cuts like “Corpse Pose” and “Reaper” take a similar approach, scaling back the technical elements of Icon’s sound in favor of amplifying the heaviness factor; the latter may actually be their most absurdly heavy track to date, undoubtedly enhanced by Tom Barber’s guest spot. In contrast, cuts such as “Death of an Artist” and runner-up single “The Apparition” demonstrate Icon’s commitment to their trademark dynamic and forward-thinking take on deathcore. While “blackened deathcore” has become something of a taboo among deathcore purists, there really is no other way to describe what’s on display here, as Despised Icon lean into black metal territory for the first time in…. well, ever. And yet, the songwriting remains genuine, authentic, and well-executed, not reliant on the saturated symphonic elements that deathcore fans have grown tired of in recent years; instead, it focuses on a simpler soundscape and mix that ensures none of the trademark instrumentation is lost in a sea of compressed noise.
The closing third of Shadow Work, which features tracks such as “In Memoriam”, “Omen of Misfortune”, “Obsessive Compulsive Disaster” and “ContreCoeur”, is perhaps a little less exciting than what was previously on display throughout much of the LP, in that they are a little more cut and drier as far as the Icon formula calls for. That said, there is nothing remotely bad here by any means, and the songs themselves are still strong on their own. “Obsessive Compulsive Disaster” in particular has some of the most infectious grooves on the record, particularly around the minute-and-a-half mark where the ever-present hardcore influence breaches the surface. Its surrounding tracks, however, while competent, simply lack the aforementioned dynamism that elevated the initial two-thirds of the tracklist. Closer “Fallen Ones” does make up for this, though, with its haunting acoustic strings hanging in the soundscape of its final moments, leaving the album on an eerie, yet strangely hopeful note.
While undeniably consistent, particularly in its latter moments, Shadow Work ventures just far enough into new territory to place it among the elite in Despised Icon’s seven-album catalogue, giving even the fan favorite Ills of Modern Man a run for its money. Dissonant, dark, melodic, and heavy, Shadow Work masterfully draws all the best elements from their wide array of influences, resulting in yet another deathcore masterclass in 2025. If you’re not already on board the Despised Icon express, Shadow Work might just be strong enough to make you board the next stop.
9/10
Shadow Work releases on October 31 via Nuclear Blast Records and can be pre-ordered here.