The Ills of Modern Man

The Ills of Modern Man
Studio album by Despised Icon
Released	May 22, 2007
Recorded	Projecson Recording Studio, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada
Genre	Deathcore
Length	39:47
Label	Century Media
Producer	Yannick St-Amand
Despised Icon chronology
The Healing Process (2005) The Ills of Modern Man (2007) Montreal Assault (2009)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	link
Allmusic	[1]
Blabbermouth	link

The Ills of Modern Man is the third studio album by Canadian deathcore band Despised Icon. It was released on May 22, 2007 through Century Media Records. The album sold more than 2,000 copies its first week, and peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers.

History

The Ills of Modern Man was recorded between January and February 2007. It was by produced by the band's former guitarist, Yannick St-Amand and was mixed by Andy Sneap at his own Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, England.^[2] The album artwork was made by Felix Rancourt. The first music video from the album was made for the song, "In the Arms of Perdition", it was directed by Jean-Philippe Bernier and was filmed at -40°C on a secluded icy mountain near Quebec City.^[3]

Musical and lyrical themes

In an interview for the magazine Exclaim!, vocalist, Alexandre Erian stated that the main lyrical themes of The Ills of Modern Man mainly concern regrets, fears, inhibitions and dealing with disappointment.^[4]

Critical reception

During the week The Ills of Modern Man was released, it sold more than 2,000 copies,^[5] which lead it to reach number 28 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers.^[6]

The album generally received positive reviews, Alex Henderson of Allmusic described the band's sound as a "example of technical death metal and technical metalcore coming together" and which "they have achieved a balance of accessibility and angularity".^[1] About.com reviewer Chad Bowar praised the album saying, "The Ills of Modern Man is technical, brutal, and most important, memorable."^[7]

Track listing

1. "In the Arms of Perdition" (Alexandre Pelletier, Eric Jarrin, Steve Marois) – 4:24
2. "Furtive Monologue" (Jarrin, Marois, Pelletier) – 3:22
3. "Quarantine" (Alexandre Erian, Jarrin) – 4:07
4. "The Ills of Modern Man" (Erian, Jarrin, Pelletier) – 3:50
5. "A Fractured Hand" (Erian, Jarrin) – 4:35
6. "Sheltered Reminiscence" (Jarrin, Marois) – 3:13
7. "Nameless" (Erian, Jarrin) – 3:02
8. "Tears of the Blameless" (Jarrin, Marois, Pelletier) – 4:13
9. "Oval Shaped Incisions" (Erian, Jarrin) – 4:02
10. "Fainted Blue Ornaments" (Erian, Jarrin, Marois) – 5:03

Personnel

Despised Icon Alex Erian – vocals Steve Marois – vocals Eric Jarrin – guitar Al Glassman - guitar Sebastien Piché – bass Alex Pelletier – drums

Production Produced and engineered by Yannick St-Amand Mastered and mixed by Andy Sneap Artwork by Felix Rancourt

References

1. Henderson, Alex. "Ills of Modern Man > Review". allmusic. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
2. "Despised Icon Begins Recording New Album, Prepares to Hit the Road". blabbermouth.net. 2007-01-04. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
3. "Despised Icon Completes New Album, Shoots New Video". blabbermouth.net. 2007-03-01. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
4. Mikkelson, Jill (October 2007). "Conversations: Despised Icon". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
5. Harris, Chris; Wiederhorn, Jon (2007-06-07). "Despised Icon Despise "Deathcore"; Plus Himsa, Dekapitator & More News That Rules". Metal File. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
6. "Artist Chart History - Despised Icon > Albums". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
7. Bowar, Chad. "Despised Icon - The Ills of Modern Man Review". About.com. Retrieved 2008-10-05.