UMUR "Purgatory" is the sixth full-length studio album by Canada, Montreal based deathcore act Despised Icon. The album was released through Nuclear Blast in November 2019. It´s the successor to "Beast" from July 2016.

Stylistically the material on "Purgatory" continue the deathcore style of "Beast" although I´d say "Purgatory" is a slightly more brutal release. "Beast" had a more immedate and simple hardcore influence to it, which "Purgatory" doesn´t possess (a song like "Vies D´Anges" features some of those elements, but it´s only a partial influence on that track). This is brutal, energetic, and crushingly heavy and groove laden deathcore with both death metal growling and ultra aggressive hardcore shouting (and the rare effect laden piggy squealing moment).

"Purgatory" features a powerful, clear sounding, and meaty sound production, which ensures that Despised Icon´s heavy riffs and beats hit as hard as possible. It´s a sound production which effectively increases the impact of the band´s already brutal and heavy music. Everything is delivered with militant precision and superiour technical skill, and there´s nothing to complain about in terms of the delivery of the music.

The songwriting is a bit more standard for the genre, but again it´s obvious that Despised Icon are veterans of the scene, and if anyone has the right to release a deathcore album which is somewhat generic in the songwriting department (and in the elements which the album are composed of), it´s them. A 3.5 (70%) rating is deserved.