This is the debut album from US metal band Dead Icarus.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Icarus’ debut EP Ad Infernum, which brought the ex-singer of Atreyu’s charismatic vocals back to the world of heavy music. Now we have the 38-minute Zealot, and Dead Icarus, (who also contain members of Enterprise Earth and Whitechapel), are on fire.
Zealot offers up a roaring blast of raging metalcore, and it’s damn good fun. The heaviness is well-crafted, the songs catchy and crushing, the hooks large and cut deep, and the vocals, as is to be expected, snarl with vigorous strength. But…there’s more to Zealot than I was anticipating, and it’s great to hear too. At the heart of the music sits a classic form of metalcore, but one that’s enriched with contemporary elements that give it a wider and more interesting scope than many bands that play in this style can claim. It’s crushingly well-delivered.
With plenty of infernal touches along the way, Zealot has more to offer than simple heaviness. The songs are dark and menacing, with more atmospheric weight than you might be expecting. All of this, while also providing meaty riffs and brutal aggression for the listener to sink their teeth into. Oh and it’s deliciously heavy. Have I mentioned that? The riffs demolish.
Zealot boasts a diversity of songwriting that makes for a very moreish album. The mix of influences, both old and new, mean that the music swings from Atreyu to The Black Dahlia Murder to Avenged Sevenfold to Pantera to Cradle of Filth to Bleeding Through, and more, all wrapped up in a tight metallic hardcore framework. This should hopefully, at least loosely, indicate the breadth and detailing that Zealot benefits from. There are some impressive solos on this thing too.
A strong progression from Ad Infinitum, Zealot has impressed more than I was hoping for. Every song has a personality of its own, and both the music and vocals are nicely varied, while still retaining an obvious holistic sound.
If you’re a fan of this sort of heavy music, then you must check out Zealot.
Wonderbox Metal 