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ICON OF SIN
Legends

Frontiers (2023)
Rating: 8/10

Just one glance at the contemporary cover art and you know what you’re in for here, which is straight up Brazilian metal fronted by the powerhouse that is Raphael Mendes who at times does Bruce Dickinson almost as good as Bruce Dickinson! Yes, the Iron Maiden influence is clear throughout as these metal madmen embark on numerous galloping adventures that occasionally veer towards power and speed metal values.

This is the sort of heavy metal that pounds its chest, sprays you in sweat and yet remains by your side like an old friend to share a tankard at ye olde inn. The guitars of Sol Perez and Marcelo Gelbcke pummel the ears and drive like chariots of blazing fire across the bloodied land. They are coupled with the metallic walls of the scorching bass of Caio Vidal and leaden drums of Markos Franzmann.

If you like well drilled, battle worn macho metal then this is the sound you’ll love to get your chain mail on to. All of the ten songs feel bombastic and epic in their stride, somewhat glinting like swords in the noon day sun as ‘Night Force’ veers into thrash territory, while opener ‘Cimmerian’ goes straight into Iron Maiden mode with rattling bass and steady gallop.

With so many of these anthems one cannot help but envisage lines of sweaty, screaming denim clad orcs at the front row of Icon Of Sin shows. Naturally such structures are a tad formulaic in their haste, but such is the fire in the belly of this clan that it is purely about the metal fury which charges in droves. A clear exact such blitzkrieg is the fantastic ‘The Scarlet Gospels’ which also exhibits a brooding subtlety.

The band effortlessly drift between galloping grandiosity (‘Wheels Of Vengeance’) and dark, suspenseful oozing (‘Bare Knuckle’) to the downright pomp rock (‘Terror Games’), but all through the album is riddled with stunning axe work, drama and theatre and a surprising amount of vim and vigour even if some of the Iron Maiden-esque vibes are a little too close for comfort.

Legends is a contemporary heavy metal outing but one that doesn’t always feel the need to coat ones ears with a gloss. When you’ve had a bad day at work and just want to sink a beer and smell the leather, let Icon Of Sin enable you to flush the frustration and fuel the fire.

Neil Arnold

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