:: Vital Remains - Icons Of Evil

Vital Remains

For their first fourteen years of their existence, Rhode Island satanic death metal act Vital Remains had garnished an underground cult following with the release of their four albums. But with the move to Century Media Records in 2003, Vital Remains not only saw the potential to gain the recognition that had eluded them for so long, but also reach a wider audience beyond the record deals they had signed in the past. And as expected, their fifth album ‘Dechristianize’ was an overwhelming well-received release, and one that gained them quite a bit of exposure within the death metal scene. Four years on and Vital Remains has once again returned to the studio with famed producer Erik Rutan (ex-Morbid Angel/Hate Eternal) at the helm for their sixth album ‘Icons Of Evil’. Given how impressive ‘Dechristianize’ was, and Benton’s return to form within Deicide on 2006’s ‘The Stench Of Redemption’, my expectations for ‘Icons Of Evil’ were quite high. Thankfully, ‘Icons Of Evil’ lives up to it for the most part, but it has to be said that it also falls below in some areas as well. First and foremost, if you’re expecting anything remarkably different from ‘Dechristianize’ on ‘Icons Of Evil’, then you’ll be sorely disappointed. The eight tracks that make up the central part of the album are essentially cut from the same cloth that made the band's previous albnum. Everything from Benton’s inhuman double tracked vocals, the defiant anti-Christian lyrical stance and the impeccable musicianship is all present and accounted for from last time around, only multiplied by ten. In regards to the production, Erik Rutan has really given the band a real depth that was sadly lacking from previous releases, which only gives Vital Remains a sound that truly befits the group’s obvious brutality.

Song wise, tracks such as the title track ‘Icons Of Evil’, ‘Reborn…The Upheaval Of Nihility’, ‘Shrapnel Embedded Flesh’ and ‘In Infamy’ stand out as the strongest and most distinctive. But for all the positives, I can’t help but feel that ‘Icons Of Evil’ lags a little behind ‘Dechristianize’ in places. My main criticism is that there’s nothing remarkably different from the last album, which to some extent leads me to feel that I’ve heard it all before. Another issue is the song lengths. With every track pushing beyond the six-minute mark without any real changes to the structures, some tracks tend to become a blur. Lastly, while the cover of Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s ‘Disciples Of Hell’ (from 1985’s ‘Marching Out’ album) is cool, it sounds a little too out of place. If you liked ‘Dechristianize’, you’ll no doubt enjoy ‘Icons Of Evil’. It may not be a better album, but it’s at least another solid effort from the band.