ICON OF SIN – Legends (2023) *HQ*
ICON OF SIN sophomore album “Legends” comes hot on the heels of the success of the Self-Titled debut album released on Frontiers Music during 2021. The band centered around the vocal talents of the popular Brazilian YouTube sensation Raphael Mendes together with two other stellar musicians, Sergio Mazul (SEMBLANT) and Marcelo Gelbcke (LANDFALL) who work as songwriters and producers.
Raphael Mendes has become a very popular figure in the Youtube world due to his jaw dropping vocal covers. He was invited to join other musical projects, including Marius Danielsen’s “Legend Of Valley Doom Part 2”, which also featured Michael Kiske, Vinny Appice, Mark Boals, Michele Luppi, and Diego Valdez, among others. One of the things that made Mendes’ reputation grow considerably earlier in 2020, when a video series called “What if Bruce Dickinson sang in other bands” was launched.
With Mendes Dickinson-esque singing style being used to cover songs by Megadeth and more, these versions impressed fans worldwide and word quickly spread in the metal community.
Icon of Sin debut album showed a true emerging star in the work of traditional heavy metal. Sergio Mazul and Marcelo Gelbcke crafted a no-nonsense, straight ahead classic pure heavy metal album which blew fans of Iron Maiden and classic Dio-era Sabbath away.
Mendes comes out of it not as a mere imitator of someone else’s vocal style but rather as an artist with something really hot especially for the followers of the new trends in Traditional Heavy Metal revival.
The new album follows up to the task of bringing forward and forging a true and solid identity for Icon of Sin. Once again the song take inspiration from various sources of traditional Metal sound and stretch Raphael’s vocal capacities without any mercy taking his undeniable talents to the next musical level.
Gelbcke (appearing this time also as lead guitarist) and Mazul wrote again an exciting set of tunes which – while taking inspiration from masters like Maiden, Priest, Dio, Saxon – stretches them, offering a head bangingly addictive, one hundred percent infectious, album.
Opener “Cimmerian” has everything to be featured on a Maiden record, especially Raphael’s upbeat vocal delivery. He pulls forward with Dickinson characteristics and roars powerful.
”Night Force” opens like Whitesnake’s ‘Bad Boys’ before injecting the classic metal tinged vocal lines and melodies. The drums and guitars are an offload of classic ‘Powerslave’ strut, before the chorus hits with howls reminiscent of German ’80s metal. It’s persistent and urging.
We have aheavier attack with the double-bass propelled ”Heart of the Wolf”, then ”Bare Knuckle” evokes a modern drive with Raphael falling back to his towering Dickinson register. That register dominates the sonics of the album, unable to shake off comparison – but that isn’t a bad thing for sure!
”Clouds over Gotham” echoes epic Bruce all over, as does ”Terror Games” filled with brisk instrumentation and wonderful guitar work. Dual guitar melodies pull forward ”In the Mouth of Madness” and revive the metal heydays with great stance.
Guitar harmonies open ”Wheels of Vengeance” with rich bass lines atop, pulling forward the vehicle in NWOBHM fashion with Mendes adding a deeper tone which he also conveys in the epic album closer ”Black Sails and Dark Waters”. The richly textured prog track make this a highlight.
Also more memorable is the ominous paced ”The Scarlet Gospels” which bridges between post-reunion Maiden and Dio’s Sabbath era.
Solid songs, great vocals and classy metal riffs are delivered on Icon Of Sin’s ‘Legends’. It all oozes classic stuff from the late Seventies / all Eighties, and while there’s too many references of legendary bands from the genre, it’s a very enjoyable album from start to finish.
Highly Recommended
01 – Cimmerian
02 – Night Force
03 – The Scarlet Gospels
04 – In The Mouth Of Madness
05 – Heart Of The Wolf
06 – Bare Knuckle
07 – Wheels Of Vengeance
08 – Clouds Over Gotham, Pt. 2 – Arkham Knight
09 – Terror Games
10 – Black Sails And Dark Waters
Raphael Mendes – Vocals
Marcelo Gelbcke – Guitar
Sol Perez – Guitar
Caio Vidal – Bass
Markos Franzmann – Drums
Pre order:
www.amazon.co.uk/Legends-Icon-Sin/dp/B0C4VWZKHY
