| The grisly 3rd full-length by this Finnish band. Formed in Turku in 2007, Concrete Icon unleashed their debut EP, "Where the Horns Reign", in 2012, quicky followed by their debut full-length, "Perennial Anguish", the year after. After going through numerous lineup changes and taking a short break, the band returned stronger and more determined than ever in 2019, with the release of their widely acclaimed sophomore full-length, "Rancid Harmony", which definitely turned them into a band to keep track of and a force to be reckoned with by diehard deathsters in the underground scene all over the world. Fast forward to late 2021, the band released an EP on tape format, titled "Rebirth", that featured two brand new songs, as some sort of appetizer before diving into the writing process of their third full-length. A few months later, a compilation named "Reign of Anguish MMXXII", featuring remixed versions of both their debut EP and their debut full-length, was released. Not long after, another major change occurred, as half of the band quit in the middle of rehearsals for the third full-length. Replacements were promptly found and the band returned to live action in 2023, finally entering the studio to record their long overdue third full-length later on. Concrete Icon blend the viciousness of classic U.S. Death Metal with the melancholic gloom of their European counterparts, combining leads drenched in despondency and suffering with a more angular and punishing riff barrage, resulting in an atrocious entity that´s as quintessential as old school Death Metal can get, while exuding a personality that´s their very own. For those in need of references, think a neck-breaking mix of Morbid Angel, Paradise Lost, Deicide, Amorphis, Monstrosity, Sentenced, Immolation... |
