The Ills of Modern Man is the third studio album by Canadian deathcore band Despised Icon. It was released on May 22, 2007 through Century Media Records. The album sold more than 2,000 copies its first week, and peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers.
| The Ills of Modern Man | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 22, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | Projecson Recording Studio, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada | |||
| Genre | Deathcore | |||
| Length | 39:47 | |||
| Label | Century Media | |||
| Producer | Yannick St-Amand | |||
| Despised Icon chronology | ||||
| ||||
History
editThe Ills of Modern Man was recorded between January and February 2007. It was by produced by the band's former guitarist, Yannick St-Amand and was mixed by Andy Sneap at his own Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, England.[1] The album artwork was made by Felix Rancourt. The first music video from the album was made for the song, "In the Arms of Perdition", it was directed by Jean-Philippe Bernier and was filmed at -40 °C on a secluded icy mountain near Quebec City.[2]
Musical and lyrical themes
editIn an interview for the magazine Exclaim!, vocalist, Alexandre Erian stated that the main lyrical themes of The Ills of Modern Man mainly concern regrets, fears, inhibitions and dealing with disappointment.[3]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [4] |
| AllMusic | [5] |
| Blabbermouth.net |   [6] |
During the week The Ills of Modern Man was released, it sold more than 2,000 copies,[7] which lead it to reach number 28 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers.[8]
The album generally received positive reviews, Alex Henderson of AllMusic described the band's sound as an "example of technical death metal and technical metalcore coming together" and which "they have achieved a balance of accessibility and angularity".[5] About.com reviewer Chad Bowar praised the album saying, "The Ills of Modern Man is technical, brutal, and most important, memorable."[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In the Arms of Perdition" | Alexandre Pelletier, Eric Jarrin, Steve Marois | 4:24 |
| 2. | "Furtive Monologue" | Jarrin, Marois, Pelletier | 3:22 |
| 3. | "Quarantine" | Alexandre Erian, Jarrin | 4:07 |
| 4. | "The Ills of Modern Man" | Erian, Jarrin, Pelletier | 3:50 |
| 5. | "A Fractured Hand" | Erian, Jarrin | 4:35 |
| 6. | "Sheltered Reminiscence" | Jarrin, Marois | 3:13 |
| 7. | "Nameless" | Erian, Jarrin | 3:02 |
| 8. | "Tears of the Blameless" | Jarrin, Marois, Pelletier | 4:13 |
| 9. | "Oval Shaped Incisions" | Erian, Jarrin | 4:02 |
| 10. | "Fainted Blue Ornaments" | Erian, Jarrin, Marois | 5:03 |
Personnel
edit
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References
edit- ^ "Despised Icon Begins Recording New Album, Prepares to Hit the Road". blabbermouth.net. 2007-01-04. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
- ^ "Despised Icon Completes New Album, Shoots New Video". blabbermouth.net. 2007-03-01. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- ^ Mikkelson, Jill (October 2007). "Conversations: Despised Icon". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
- ^ a b Bowar, Chad. "Despised Icon - The Ills of Modern Man Review". About.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
- ^ a b Henderson, Alex. "Ills of Modern Man > Review". allmusic. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
- ^ Blabbermouth.net review
- ^ Harris, Chris; Wiederhorn, Jon (2007-06-07). "Despised Icon Despise "Deathcore"; Plus Himsa, Dekapitator & More News That Rules". Metal File. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- ^ "Artist Chart History - Despised Icon > Albums". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-10-06.