How many killer riffs and tempo changes can be packed into three-and-a-half minutes of extreme music without wrecking its structural integrity as a song or undermining the dominance of its ravenous, slaughtering vibe? It seems that Norway’s Odious Icon decided to put that question to the test when they wrote and recorded the title track to their debut album, Planet of Immense Decay, which we’re premiering in this post. Maybe someone else has achieved a higher score, but this song grades very, very high.
The song’s compact length magnifies its intensity, sort of like venting pressurized water through a narrow opening: The striking force is impressive, especially given that the blast hits you in the face right from the start, in a high-speed torrent of razoring guitar work, machine-gun percussion, and maniacal, blood-thirsty howls. Electrifying stuff… and then the first change happens.
After only about 13 seconds of being swarmed with knives and punched full of holes, you will encounter another riff and a different rhythm, and it’s pure headbang gold — though still as murderous as a serial killer. The band continue turning on a dime, reprising those first tastes of viciousness and groove, and then it’s on to a gear-shifting bout of pile-driving and jackhammering… and lurching and oozing… before rapidly reprising all of the ghoulish goodness the song delivers, as the vocalist sends his roaring, beast-like voice into a crescendo of cauterizing shrieks… repeating a certain word at the end.
Like it’s title track, the album is itself compact — a 26-minute surge of electrification that combines elements of death, thrash, and sometimes black metal, with a loyalty to the power of groove.
Planet of Immense Decay will be released by Negative Vibe Records on October 27 on all streaming services (iTunes, Tidal, Google Play, Spotify, etc.). For more info, check the links below.
Odious Icon is:
Daniel Flygh – Vocals and Bass guitar
Markus Harsem – Drums
Rikard Skustad – Guitar
Negative Vibe:
https://www.facebook.com/negative.vibe.records
Odious Icon:
https://www.facebook.com/OdiousIcon