I.C.O.N our one of those rare musical treats – a UK band whose hard work more than matches their natural ability and for whom it seems to be paying off. With one critically acclaimed album already under their belt (2009’s ‘New Born Lie’) and having shared stages with Blaze Bayley, Warrior Soul, Diamond Head and many, many more, I.C.O.N understand that to get anywhere in the modern, fragmented musical world you need to put in the work like never before, and that is exactly what the band have been doing. Playing hard-hitting, gritty and yet melodic metal, I.C.O.N are a home-grown talent to be proud of and new album ‘the blacklist’ is a blistering reminder of the band’s potent capabilities.
Opening upon an atmospheric note, I.C.O.N build the tension beautifully on ‘a room in hell’, Scott Knowles’ understated guitar work leading the listener in as Larry Paterson hints at the thunder that is coming from behind the kit. Slowly a riff is introduced and the band kick into the taut groove of ‘feeding the negative’. Boasting the sort of chrome-plated riff that Metallica dealt so deftly around ‘the black album’, it’s a crushing opening that benefits from the band having honed their skills to a razor edge with their incessant touring. Mark Sagar, meanwhile, has a voice that sits somewhere between the gruff, raw-throated vocals of Lemmy and the melodic roar of Nick Holmes circa ‘Draconian Times’ and this sense of melody helps to give the songs a powerfully memorable edge. Having opened so powerfully it is important to keep the momentum, something the band do well on ‘grindin’ wheel’, a brutal yet melodic beast that would make a perfect single release with its chorus seemingly custom-built to be roared out by the audience at gigs around the continent. It is the mark of a supremely confident band, and listening to ‘the blacklist’ you get the feeling that I.C.O.N have every reason to be confident because this is hard-hitting heavy metal of the highest quality. ‘I’m the venom’ is another full-bodied assault that opens on a tumultuous thrash riff with Larry Paterson hammering his kit into submission as Mark Sagar pours forth potent lyrical scorn with an intensity that is slightly unnerving. Scott Knowles delivers a blistering solo here, but like all good guitarists he knows to always leave the audience wanting more and it never seems flashy or overplayed. ‘Welcome to my war’ is an album highlight with its full-blooded intro giving way to a mid-tempo groove that is slightly unexpected but entirely welcome. ‘Speak to your god’ sees the band pick up the pace once more for a scalding piece delivered with passion and precision as Mark rails against religion with furrow-browed intensity.
Another album highlight, ‘Devil’s blacklist’ is a grinding, doomy number with plenty of melody whilst ‘wrong way back’ is a pummelling number with the sort of ass-kicking riff that makes you want to head bang incessantly, whilst Scott once again busts out a blistering solo at the song’s conclusion. A slower song, ‘Man of the north’ is an instrumental number that gives the band the chance to exercise their impressive abilities on a piece that is stunningly evocative despite the absence of lyrics. Mark makes a brutal return on the devastating thrash beast that is ‘deconverted’, a full-tilt mix of thrash riffs and grittily melodic vocals. The album closes with one last blast of metallic mayhem with ‘drowning in their screams’, leaving the listener with the distinct impression that they’ve just had their ass handed to them.
Overall, on ‘the blacklist’, I.C.O.N have done a fantastic job of drawing upon their influences to create a heavy metal album that feels fresh and fiery. Over ten tracks (we’ll ignore the intro), the band demonstrate the potency of their particular brew and the result is never less than impressive. It’s not all perfect. The production is a little dry for my tastes, with drums sounding a touch on the boxy side and vocals sounding admirably raw yet, perhaps, a shade too high in the mix, but that is arguably born out of the band’s desire to capture themselves as live as possible, and these really are nit-picking points as they barely impact upon the listener’s enjoyment. Indeed, for the most part, ‘the blacklist’ accurately portrays the blistering power of I.C.O.N and there’s no question that when the band bring their show to a stage near you then you’ll feel more-or-less compelled to go. I.C.O.N are a powerful and talented unit who deserve to go far. At present I would argue that the limit of their potential has yet to be reached and certainly the band would benefit from a larger budget with which to really push their production, but this is a fine, exciting metal release from one of the ballsiest bands you’ll hear all year – don’t miss out.
