Band:	Icon Of Sin
Album:	Icon Of Sin
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	April 2021

01. Icon Of Sin
02. Road Rage
03. Shadow Dancer
04. Unholy Battleground
05. Nightbreed
06. Virtual Empire
07. Pandemic Euphoria
08. Clouds Over Gotham
09. Arcade Generation
10. Hagakure (Intro)
11. The Last Samurai
12. The Howling
13. Survival Instinct

Man, that vocalist really loves Bruce Dickinson's style, doesn't he?

Coincidentally, I do too. So, let's be clear right from the start: I really like this album. Heavy metal is still one of my favourite subgenres, but at the same time I've also noticed throughout the last couple of years that I'm getting more picky with these types of record. Hence, why there are often quite a few heavy metal albums at the bottom of my end of the year lists. Well, there's that and the fact that they are just awful anyway (regardless of genre). This one, though, absolutely hits the mark for me.

Production-wise, Icon Of Sin does deliver solid work. Guitars have a pronounced classic heavy metal vibe to them and the bass does its job well to thicken the sound. As for the vocals, they are clear and well mixed in terms of how audible they are, and the same goes for the drums. Personally, I would have liked the sound of them even more if the drumheads were slightly tighter in sound. But, just to be clear, that's personal preference speaking. Overall, this album sounds good production-wise.

Now, let's talk about the thing others have already talked about as well (and I did a bit as well at the start of this review): the vocals. Raphael Mendes' performance can only be described as clearly inspired by Bruce Dickinson; however, while I don't think he reaches the same level as that metal titan's work, he still delivers a phenomenal performance. It oozes energy and joy, and it's one of Icon Of Sin's strongest aspects. The rest of the band doesn't leave it at that though. They deliver some fun and enjoyable riffs and catchy choruses. The love and passion for classic heavy metal shines brightly throughout the whole record. Expect touches of Iron Maiden (obviously), Rainbow, Judas Priest, Cloven Hoof, Helloween and many more. This really is an amalgamation of a bunch of classic metal influences.

And I do really appreciate that as a classic heavy metal fan. However, I wouldn't be surprised that because of this, some might not exactly share that praise for Icon Of Sin. The many influences I mentioned earlier do result in songs that have distinct vibes. Basically, if you're not a fan of one of the influences mentioned above, it might result in certain songs falling flat for you.

The lyrics aren't spectacular, but they are fine. They serve their purpose and they do have their moments. "Arcade Generation" for instance: a band singing about their love for arcade halls and machines might sound silly, but it's fun and adds some personality. That song has a classic hair metal vibe to it, and it works.

So what's the conclusion? This is a good record through and through. It manages to mix and match various styles and flavours in a compelling way. The album moves at a brisk pace and offers enough variety without losing any cohesion to its overall sound. Icon Of Sin is one of those records that really brightens my day and immediately got a second spin after I had just finished the first one: a promising debut from a band I look forward to hearing from again in the future.