Herod, a metal band heralding from the land of Celtic Frosts, Hellhammers, skiing, chocolate and cheese (no pun intended) and war neutrality: Switzerland. A country I've never visited, but if war ever breaks out, I am a coward and will be taking refuge. While the former bands just mentioned are credited for being progenitors of the black metal genre in the 80s, this band, and in particular, this album 'Iconoclast' released in 2023 is not that, but is instead... well let's talk about it.
It's difficult to articulate the sound of Herod. On one hand, they're ultra-heavy sludge metal with enough atmosphere and reverb in there to be pretty spacious in the mix, downtuned guitars, booming drums and Admiral Angry-Conjurer-esque vocals. Tracks like 'The Girl with a Balloon' showcase this very well which is a bit more straightforward sludge metal. On the other hand, especially in the drums, this also makes them sound like an overproduced djent band like Periphery; an odd comparison, I admit, but nevertheless it's not necessarily a negative aspect, and this is more pertaining to the production of the record than the sound itself. The song 'The Obsolete' highlights this pretty well, sounding mechanized and Meshuggah- like, but lacking their complexity.
There's even some progressive and post-metal leanings in here with 'The Ode To..' which is actually one of my favourite tracks. It's a nice break from the heaviness and meandering nature of the first three tracks, and we get a nice layering of ethereal female vocals to complement the buildup nature of the track. The closer on the record 'The Prophecy' perfectly sums up the record. While the other songs have a distinct style to them, this encapsulates every positive attribute of the previous 7 tracks in 9 glorious minutes. Its progressive and atmospheric qualities intertwine with the sludgy/djentiness very well. Easily my favorite track off the record.
So yeah, Iconoclast was a fine listen. Definitely headbanging worth. As for the replayability of it? Probably never again. 'The Prophecy' I may jam to every once in a while, but the rest is not really something that grabbed me all that much. Despite it being heavy sludge, it's a pretty polished listen. It's not as fun and heavy as, say, Conjurer and not as progressive and introspective as Isis or The Ocean; it's just kind of in the middle. A thumbs up.
