Canadian Deathcore Septet DESPISED ICON return to the studio following the release of 2016's The Beast. The Beast was their first release after the band got back together following a 4 year hiatus. So the band have had 5 years together to blend styles once more and they have created Purgatory. They flirted the publication with the release of the songs "Purgatory" and "Snake in the Grass" just to get us interested. Well, it worked for those two songs, will it work for the other 9? Let's see

"Light Speed", as a definition of light speed goes, it means that Light travels through a vacuum at about 186,000 miles, or 300,000 kilometers, per second. To nut shell it, its fats a fuck. So is this song from the off. Vocally, it pounds away very well. It's understandable and easier to follow than some Deathcore vocals. The drums from Alex Grind are being hit the crap out off to set the pace well along with the rest of the instrumentalists. The weird noise used as a break down is used very well, as if the sound has warped into full speed and then the outcome is a more aggressive, brutal approach to close out the song. Great song

"Slow Burning" by definition is not something associated with this or many bands in the Deathcore genre. Luckily it's just the title. The song itself kicks off on fire. The aggression is in full swing once more, allowing the song to extend depth and add volume to the sound. The overall balance of the band is brilliant. There is section in the song with some pig squeal deathcore screams, these aren't lyrics, and they are just sounds. A bit pointless. The song finishes on a high note with a flurry of vocals and instrumentalist shifting into high gear.

"Snake in the Grass" takes off from where "Slow Burning" left us. Which is a good idea, it continues the aggressive approach, and it does a slow break down with clear vocals. Then the pig sequels, which aren't lyrics, just sounds again. Fills a gap I suppose, it's just not for us all. The song seems like a thicker, deeper set of chords are being used to create the sound. The balance is held very well through the clean, hardcore vocals, which I think would have worked better than the pig squeals. The intensity goes into overdrive to end the song.

"Moving On" has a weird sample intro, more at home in a film trailer or something you could expect from FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE to do, though it something new for the album, with is always good. Then the guitars come in. This would be a great song to open up a gig to. Vocally its full throttle, there is nothing being held back here. The pace of the song isn't dictated by one factor of the band, they each hold their own and portray their sound to perfection. The balance is controlled, you don't feel that any section is out of place, even when the cleaner guitar solo come sin, you know it creates a good vibe for the song. The sample in the songs aren't used too much either, just added here and there to bump up the atmosphere

The album is controlled very well throughout. The band as a whole does well to create the sounds that are similar in most songs, but different every time. The only issue I have is the use of pig squeals in 2 of the songs. Other than that it's a great album. This could even be the stepping stone album to go above and beyond to create a masterpiece. We shall see what the future has in store for the band