Despised Icon is the only deathcore band I really really like. This Canadian outfit has the groove, the brutality, the vocals, the blastbeats and the ultimate breakdowns for which other bands in this genre can only envy them. Live they never disappoint me, and their records are always a real treat to listen to. Now we’ve reached their fourth full length studio effort entitled Day Of Mourning. Time to dance!

Day Of Mourning lifts the production level of Despised Icon a bit higher once again. Everything is right in your face, overproduced and unnatural. All the skins of the drums have been triggered, which makes for an extremely oppressive sound. And I quite like it! The supreme brutality, tightness and intensity of this record has surpassed their previous work once again, tip to the hat for that boys. So in that area I have nothing to complain about. Just listen to the track ‘MVP’ and find out what they’re up to.

 

This doesn’t mean they went for the perfect score this time, for one of the for me key elements in their music has disappeared. Disaster has struck, there are no more pig squeals on this record! And I fucking hate it! Instead there is some sort of other extreme brutal death metal voice to replace it, but no more brieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I cannot live without that! So that sucks. Big time. And it will cost them some points in this review!

 

For the rest not much has changed in the Despised Icon camp. With Day Of Mourning they raised the bar once again for the deathcore scene, making it hard for the competition to keep up. One little thing has changed though, something quite daring for a band in this scene. They’ve added a little black metal piece in the track ‘Diva Of Disgust’, which works out pretty well I have to say. Just expect the same successful formula as always, with some small changes made and no more pig vocals. Still enjoyable as hell, just a little different. Mosh!