Vital Remains "Icons of Evil" (Century Media)
By Eric Chon
Thursday. Jul 05, 11:50 AM
By-the-books blackened death metal.

I think I’m spoiled. A few years ago I would’ve raved about Vital Remains and probably listened to them non-stop for weeks on end. It’s incredibly fast, brutal, and depleted-uranium heavy. Even now, it gets my blood pumping and unleashes the urge to destroy! But that just doesn’t seem to be enough in 2007.

As a pure death metal album, Icons of Evil delivers the goods. Glen Benton’s (of Deicide) vocals remain in top form while Lazaro and Suzuki’s guitars remain as twisted and melodic as ever. But they can’t seem to shake a “been there, done that” feeling. Exactly how far have Vital Remains come since their 1992 origins, really? And in a day and age where their contemporaries (like New York’s Suffocation) are truly redefining the boundaries of death metal, Vital Remains seem stuck.

But perhaps this is a good thing for some. This lack of innovation shows a true commitment to their style and their signature sound, which is no bad thing. Any fan of incredibly heavy music would love Icons of Evil. Vital Remains play with a bombastic fervor that seems missing nowadays, and their energy and vitality (no pun intended) are infectious. I was just hoping for something a little different after so many years.
www.vitalremains.com
www.centurymedia.com

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Eric Chon

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