Icon-Right between the eyes

Wounded Bird
1989/2008

This was the fourth and final studio album from Arizona (and at one point LA) based Icon. By 1989 they had been up, down and changed singers and drummers before landing on Megaforce with distribution from Atlantic. There is no doubting that they were a very competent band of musicians even when they released their 1984 self-titled debut. However their downfall probably had to do with the fact that they sounded too much a like a more established band. You will read very few reviews of Icon’s CD that don’t mention that “they sound like Dokken” and indeed I agree with that fact because they always sounded to some extent like the band who wanted their name to rhyme with rockin’. Icon had obviously heard Whitesnake’s 1987 self-titled album by this point as well because there are a few tracks here that fall into that style as well. I mean there is no denying that this is a solid enough hard rock outing, but by 1989 it had already been done and the market was so packed with poofy haired bands hoping to be the next Motley Crue, Poison or Whitesnake. Icon had no problem creating decent hard rock songs and they were certainly consistant, but they never really defined their own sound or at least not enough to stand out. Even though this is likely their best album, it’s easy to see why they didn’t really make it any bigger than they did. However hard rock lovers will likely be thrilled that Wounded Bird has re-issued it and you can now get it for under $15.00.