Condemned is the debut full length from Lexington, KY's Dead Icons. What we have here is an example of well executed modern hardcore without all of the frills. Upon first listen, I wasn't fully able to sink my teeth into it. I mostly attribute to my growing disdain with the records that are being released by hardcore bands in recent years. I can't remember the last time I heard a straight forward hardcore record and was excited for the future of the genre. I really miss that feeling of hearing something that really took a chance within the realm of a tried and true formula and sparked a very real enthusiasm within me. Unfortunately, this falls short of that and isn't one of those records.
Don't get me wrong... all aspects of Condemned are done very well. The riffs are thrashy during fast parts and have a gut checking chug when breaking down the tempo. The drums pound in time and the bass follows suit... providing ample support for the weight of the music. The vocals snarl through it all portraying a genuine sense of anger that was felt when the lyrics were conceived. The only problem is that we've heard all of this done before, and unfortunately done at a much higher level. There are moments on this release that really shine through the weeds. I honestly think that if some of the fat were trimmed and this were more along the lines of an EP, the tone of this review would be entirely different. I've actually had the pleasure of sharing the stage with these guys and this record doesn't do their live presence justice. The energy here feels subdued and I think that if that were stepped up a few notches it may have thrown this record over the edge.
The bottom line is that this is a good hardcore record... but not great. At times it comes off as uninspired and "safe". I'd love to see these guys take a few more chances with future releases because they definitely have the chops to push the limits of hardcore.
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