No Frontiers-curated supergroup of this decade (and at one point, it felt like there was a new one every week) left a greater impact on me than Iconic. Essentially Whitesnake 2: Electric Boogaloo, their debut album, Second Skin, absolutely nailed the aesthetic of the David Coverdale-fronted band’s landmark ’87 self-titled, boasting riffs and hooks that came damn close to the heights of the now late John Sykes. Considering the fly by night nature of many of these supergroups, and the fact that Stryper is a full time deal for Michael Sweet (not to mention, the various projects occupying the other members of this band), I waited with baited breath to see if we’d get a second effort from Iconic. Lo and behold, it took four years, but here it is, Iconic’s aptly titled sophomore outing, II.
Whereas Second Skin came off as a valiant effort to recreate the classic Whitesnake arena metal sound, II sees Iconic finding their own identity. Sure, there are some blatant Whitesnake-isms, the most apparent being frontman Nathan James who could pass as Coverdale’s vocal doppelganger. However, the songs that make up II seem to largely occupy their own space in the old school hard and heavy stratosphere, not so concerned about replicating the atmosphere of Coverdale and company, and more focused on hitting you over the head with killer tuneage.
The opening “Cry No More” picks up right where things left off with its thunderous riffs, heavenly twin guitar harmonies, and the aforementioned explosive vocals of James. Furthermore, can we take a moment to appreciate that at 75 years old, Tommy Aldridge still beats the absolute living shit out of his drums? This guy’s career goes back 55 years to the days of Black Oak Arkansas. He held down the beat for Ozzy, Pat Travers, Gary Moore, and Whitesnake at their commercial peak, and if this album is any indication, he shows no sign of slowing down. Now besides “Cry No More”, the only other cuts on here that sound explicitly Whitesnake-esque are the brooding blues metal ballad “Nothing Left for Me” and the exotic “Valley of Lost Souls”, the latter of which boasts some Blackmore-isms.
Now Iconic must’ve read my review of their last album, in which I noted they leaned a little too hard on the ballads. There are ballads on II, namely the aforementioned “Nothing Left for Me” and lush AOR dreamscape “Tears Keep on Falling”, but all in all, Iconic shifts their focus towards rockers and headbangers on this affair. The heaviest moments on here, such as “Open My Eyes” and “Take Me to the Place”, nail the ’80s traditional metal vibe, reminiscent of classic Judas Priest (one of Sweet’s biggest influences) and Loudness. Meanwhile, the party hardy rockers are hit or miss, at times sounding less like Whitesnake ’87 and more like Slip of the Tongue. I’m looking mainly at “S.O.S.”, which comes off as the contractually obligated pseudo-whiteboy funk rocker that every major label hard rock band had to churn out circa 1990, but I digress.
Brief missteps aside, I find myself enjoying II just as much as Second Skin, and it is anything but a sophomore slump. While there’s no doubt in my mind that these songs were assembled piecemeal over the course of the last few years, with parts emailed via ZIP files (though I could be wrong), the band boasts an even stronger sense of cohesion than before. The only letdown is two albums in and a single live show has yet to materialize. Come on, guys! Time to christen this band properly and hit the road! Make it a Stryper/Inglorious/Iconic package to make it make sense if you will, but there’s no reason these songs shouldn’t be experienced live, bouncing off the walls of theaters across America. Hopefully this review elicits enough of a response out of Michael Sweet to eventually lead to such!
8 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Whitesnake, Rainbow, Judas Priest
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