Fact is, the Quebec metalcore (strike one, says the dude in the EDGE OF SANITY sweats) band bust out some insanely heavy and technical death metal along with their hardcore (strike two, says the dude with the Sinister tattoo). Could it be the tough-guy posturing from vocalist Alex Erian (who is actually a sweetheart, don't let him fool you) and the short hair that pushes folks who really, really liked R/C Records over the edge? Yes, and yes. That's four goddamn strikes.
But enough tomfoolery: band rules, band is heavy, purists don't like 'em too much, and life goes on. It goes on to their fourth disc, the downright awesome Day Of Mourning, one of the best heavy discs I've heard in calendar year 2009, and perhaps the band's best yet. It's tight, it's concise, it's metal as fuck.
"I think the songs sound more mature and trimmed, without losing any edge or technicality," says guitarist Ben Landreville. "It was very important to all of us that every single song on this album was well built and memorable and I think we achieved that really well. You know, it's easy to shred and blast like crazy, but at the end of the day if nobody remembers what they just listened to five minutes ago, you're not making much of an impact."
And tunes like opener 'Les Temps Changent' and the title track (opening one-two punch of the year) certainly have an impact, Despised Icon sounding damn near like machines with their batterie and assault, but never sacrificing any of the passion this band has long carried with them. And, man, some killer guitar shredding on this disc too.
"We all grew up listening to old-school stuff and played in countless bands, and it just felt right to glorify that era," says Landreville on the disc's shred-happy edge. "Especially nowadays where kids listen to the new bands without even knowing where it came from and how it all began. …ric (Jarrin, guitarist) and I simply wrote parts that felt good playing, and listening to. Since it sounded right with what the band was doing we were more than happy to include it in our sound, because it's a big part of who we are as musicians."
The disc is the band's first with bassist Max Lavelle, as well as with Landreville, who replaced guitarist Alan Glassman, who left the band to join another band much maligned in the underground (and, again, I don't really get why): death metal buzz act JOB FOR A COWBOY. And, by all accounts, the split was not on good terms.
"Everything happens for a reason, and Alan's departure was no exception," says Landreville, playing the diplomacy card. "The band gained Max [Lavelle] as a bassist, and apparently things are going a lot smoother since I jumped in we're really focused, positive and just keep on working hard instead of fighting with each other or talking shit in interviews... Alan does whatever he needs to do, and we wish him the best of luck; the band only grew stronger and is looking forward to a lot of exciting things."
