Despised Icon Want to Avoid ‘Deathcore’ Tag on ‘Day of Mourning’

In 2009, deathcore is bumping. So many bands fuse blast beats and lightning quick riffery with alternating guttural vocals. It's this year's metalcore, so to speak. But Despised Icon -- who just released 'Day of Mourning,' an album so vicious it'll slice your jugular and drain you of your platelets -- are stepping away from the 'deathcore' tag, purposely!

"All these so-called deathcore bands and modern death metal bands are all turning nu metal, trading blast beats for nu metal riffs," vocalist Alex Erian told Noisecreep. "We expect people to think that about us, like, 'Hey, they're getting older now. Maybe they will use clean vocals.' But we went the opposite way. It's more extreme than ever. We have metalcore influences, but the roots are all death metal, and it shows on this record. It's pissed off."

Erian also said, "More and more, I don't like that 'deathcore' title. I hate being associated with this trend. I will sound like an arrogant prick by saying this, but we've been doing it since 2002. We're not 18-years-old and still living with our parents. I am balding, and I am almost 30. We want to be seen as a death metal band with more modern influences. Not like 'Oh, I saw them on MySpace! They are so cool.' That is what will save our ass in the long run. When this trend dies down and people lose their attention span after a year, we won't have to worry about that."

Guitarist Ben Landreville added, "The new album sounds more like what we listen to and what we enjoy playing. So when we were recording, it was about writing songs we want to play and listen to."

'Day of Mourning,' Despised Icon's latest effort, is out now.