Despised Icon to Release New Album ‘Shadow Work’ This October
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After six years of silence, Montreal deathcore trailblazers Despised Icon are officially back. The band has announced their seventh full-length album, Shadow Work, set for release on October 31, 2025, via Nuclear Blast Records. The new record marks a major milestone for the band, not only as their first new material since 2019's Purgatory, but as a deep, introspective work rooted in both personal transformation and the band's unshakable legacy in extreme music.
Formed in 2002, Despised Icon were among the first to carve out and refine the deathcore blueprint—a volatile mix of death metal intensity and hardcore energy. Over two decades later, the band's core lineup remains largely intact, and with Shadow Work, they prove there's still plenty of fuel left in the fire. The album is described as their most focused and dynamic offering yet, combining high-velocity brutality with eerie melody, groove-heavy breakdowns, and the emotional weight of hard-earned perspective.
Lyrically, Shadow Work delves into the psychological process of facing and integrating one's darker self — the "shadow," as coined by Carl Jung. The band explores themes of resilience, trauma, and inner healing, tying deeply personal experiences to the chaotic times we live in. The result is an album that hits hard not just physically, but emotionally.
Produced in-house by Alex Erian and Eric Jarrin, the album's sonic weight is sharpened by the skilled hands of Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy, Shadow of Intent, Signs of the Swarm), who handled mixing and mastering duties. The powerful and haunting cover artwork comes from renowned metal artist Eliran Kantor, whose past work includes visuals for Hatebreed, Thy Art Is Murder, and Cavalera.
Shadow Work also brings some serious vocal firepower, featuring guest appearances from Matt Honeycutt of Kublai Khan TX, Scott Ian Lewis of Carnifex, and Tom Barber of Chelsea Grin and Darko US. With these voices joining the fray, the record promises a diverse and punishing vocal onslaught.
The band is currently putting the finishing touches on their first music video from the album and teased that new music is on the way soon.
Shadow Work track listing:
01 – “Shadow Work”
02 – “Over My Dead Body”
03 – “Death Of An Artist”
04 – “Corpse Pose”
05 – “The Apparition”
06 – “Reaper”
07 – “In Memoriam”
08 – “Omen Of Misfortune”
09 – “Obsessive Compulsive Disaster”
10 – “ContreCoeur”
11 – “Fallen Ones”
