Beast' is proof positive that DESPISED ICON are still better at being pissed off than you. Opening with a cacophonous barrage of audio extremity and barely relenting for the next thirty minutes, the Canadian Deathcore pioneers are just as savage as they were when 'The Healing Process' dropped jaws back in 2005. It's an utterly ferocious comeback album and should see them added to a few IMPERICON tours yet, even if the pig squeals continue to divide opinion. Wisely sticking to their established formula, 'Beast' ticks all the boxes required of a DESPISED ICON record. There's intense guitar riffs, blast beats that could propel a shuttle into orbit and some effective dual vocals courtesy of Alexandre Erian (bad cop) and Steve Marois (worse cop). Unlike a lot of the cookie-cutter Deathcore that's spawned in their wake however, the Death Metal influences are obvious and they have more in common with SUFFOCATION than the likes of ATTILA, even when laying down a monstrous breakdown.

Highlights? Well, 'Bad Vibes' is a surprisingly upbeat contender. It's no less heavy than the other tracks but it has a bounce that's bizarrely infectious. It doesn't sound too dissimilar to Erian's work in OBEY THE BRAVE crossed with CANNIBAL CORPSE, listen to it in the right mood and it might even seem catchy. 'Drapeau Noir' and the furious 'The Aftermath' meanwhile are mosh-inciting cuts of macho aggression that'll satisfy any Death purists who wander into their gigs, while 'Grind Forever' has shades of technical extremists like CRYPTOPSY. So while the Deathcore world has expanded exponentially since they first burst onto the scene, DESPISED ICON retain an edge over their contemporaries. The genre they helped to create has loads of great bands but these guys are the innovators and their love of Death Metal is tattooed on every single track. WHITECHAPEL, ALL SHALL PERISH and FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY may have been entertaining their fans for years but 'Beast' is the record they've all been waiting for, even if it is a bit short.