Canadian deathcore pioneers DESPISED ICON have returned with a vengeance, dropping the music video for their powerful new single Death Of An Artist. The track is taken from their long-awaited seventh full-length album, Shadow Work, due out October 31, 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Marking their first release of new music in six years, Shadow Work sees DESPISED ICON refining their craft with a balance of relentless speed, crushing grooves, and morbid melodies, while staying true to their groundbreaking fusion of extreme death metal and hardcore grit.
Death Of An Artist captures the band’s trademark intensity in full force. The track explores themes of ego death, self-doubt, and personal rebirth, weaving a visceral narrative of transformation through ruin and redemption.
Watch the official video (directed by Jessy Fuchs):
Stream the single: Death Of An Artist
Frontman Alex Erian commented:
“We promised a rollercoaster with this record, and it’s time to deliver. Where ‘Over My Dead Body’ leaned into crushing grooves and dissonance, ‘Death Of An Artist’ pushes the pedal down with pure speed and technicality. This one is not only my favorite track on the album, it’s also the most personal. You can hear the echoes of the classic Death Metal bands that shaped us running through some of these riffs. We’re just getting started. Thanks for listening.”

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