Unleashing a juggernaut on the senses. Swiss outfit Icare has eschewed its early grindcore roots and revealed the monolith that is Charogne. A 43-minute piece of art that Is a barrage on the senses and a literary reflection inspired by the writings of French poet Charles Baudelaire.
One song’s albums can be tiresome, indulgent, and repetitive, yet Icare is remarkable in creating a truly immersive experience that is a one-way journey to completion.
It is savage yet romantic, brutal, and yet sophisticated. Musically it is an intense journey that avoids refrains and or repetition to continue its journey.
Taking cues from Post Metal and black metal there are some riffs and rhythm patterns on Charogne that haven’t been explored since the early days of Cult of Luna, yet it from its beginnings Charogne is also intensely fast with one of the longest blast beat sections in recent memory highlighting the excellent percussive talents of Axel Vuille.
Reflecting the carrion of its subject matter Icare represents the brutality of the real and the immediacy and power of Black metal with none of its cliches. The character within is full of turmoil, restless yet almost contemplative. An exemplary mature work that stirs the senses and then the soul.
The more Charogne is pursued, the more it is revealed. A release that asks many questions and yet delivers all the answers in musical form. Highly recommended.
Icare: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Hummus Records
Category: Album
Country: Switzerland
Reviewed by Sparky
