A few months ago I was blasted to the point of no return by a new American import album. The name was ICON. The band, previously known by the rediculous title of THE SCHOOLBOYS dealt a swift blow to the brain cells and left me in a state of shock. Here was another fine discovery who could deliver heavy metal goods yet still retain a smug commercial edge that would satisfy US radio stations or MTV. The band are the sort that the latter should pick up on with their Motley Crue meets Hanoi Rocks in Malice's backyard. Yeah, a glam band.
ICON were picked up by famed Metal entrepreneur Mike Varney with a view to putting out an album on his Shrapnel label, perhaps promoting them as a sort of a stadia filling, chart oriented LE MANS. Capitol Records picked upon 'em tho' and gave 'em a mega buck deal ( obviously filling Varney's coffers and reviving Shrapnel ) and the album was put out on an unsuspecting public with David Constable declaring it 'S - - t hot and Shades selling 'em by the bucketfull. (Not Literally of course).
The ICON lineup, formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1981 is vocalist Stephen Clifford, Dan Wexler and John Aquilino on guitars, Pat Dixon on bass and Tracy Wallach on bass. They certainly do the business with their debut waxing with anthems such as the monster "(Rock On) Through the night", spine-chilling "World War" and the stomping "Rock and Roll Maniac".
TThe band have a WASP/PRIEST feel about their music. They certainly know how to crunch it out put it this way. Stephen Clifford could be Blackie Lawless for all we know! The production is superb and I have a feeling that Mr. Varney will be in big demand soon and will be up there with Kramer, Lange, Douglas and Allom as one of the worlds leading rock producers. Let's just hope Capitol get behind ICON and don't leave 'em with this one killer album to their credit like US record companies are prone to do ( particularly Epic ). If you haven't got ICON yet, what the hell ARE you listening to? WHITESNAKE? GET ON YOUR FEET!!