When someone has a favorite band, little can rival watching that band stay together and continue to make music for many years. Sometimes, however, one might wonder what it would be like for the talent in that band to fuse together with the strengths of musicians in other bands. ICONIC provides the opportunity for that mixing of talents to happen, featuring the extremely talented vocalist Nathan James (Inglorious), guitarist Michael Sweet (Stryper), guitarist Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake), bassist Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, The Dead Daisies), and drummer Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake, Ozzy Osborne). Four years after their debut album, Second Skin, the supergroup returns with their sophomore album, II.

The music that the guys bring on II is nothing short of fantastic. Apart from Nathan James' high soaring vocals that shine on tracks like "Cry No More" and "Tears Keep On Falling" in particular, Sweet and Hoekstra on guitars is an undeniably fun combination. Whether Hoekstra takes the lead to open "Written In The Stars," Sweet lays down a great Stryper-esque riff to start "Open My Eyes," or Sweet begins a solo and Hoekstra finishes it on "Take Me To The Place," the mixture provides the album with great variety on guitars. Listeners familiar with the prior work of the two juggernauts easily can tell which one is playing a particular part, and their distinct sounds mesh so well, contributing to much of ICONIC's charm. On the drums, Aldridge's skill unsurprisingly is evident from the start of "Cry No More," and continues throughout the album, playing a major part in the strength of the release. He may be 75 years old, but he drums with energy like he is in his prime. Mendoza's bass playing also fits in well, like on "Open My Eyes," when he plays alongside Sweet's guitars, or on "Heart of Stone" where the bass helps drive home the closer nicely. Despite their varying backgrounds, the five musicians come together to produce a strong, cohesive record that is hard to stop listening to. Compared to their debut album, the supergroup seems much more confident in their sound this time around.

That being said, the biggest disappointment musically with II comes from the absence of Michael Sweet on lead vocals. On Second Skin, James takes most of the lead vocal duties, but "Fast as You Can" and "Second Skin" have Sweet share lead vocals with James. Those tracks highlight the complementary nature of James's and Sweet's vocals, and stand out on that album because they more holistically display the talent within the band. With the degree of talent that ICONIC possesses, one wants to hear each band member's giftings fully displayed, and the absence of Michael Sweet on any lead vocals leaves the five-piece with untapped potential on this project. Acknowledging that James is rightfully the primary lead vocalist of ICONIC and knowing that Sweet enjoys playing guitar more than singing, hearing the Stryper frontman take even a small section of lead vocals, like he did on Second Skin, would have elevated this record as a whole.

As opposed to lyrics on a typical Stryper album, the lyrics on II have greater appeal to a secular audience, despite many of the band members being Christians. The themes lean into self-determinism and more generic positivity, such as the choruses of "Open My Eyes" ("Open my eyes / The courage in my soul, I'm never letting go / Taking me high / But now you're gonna see what's inside of me") and "S.O.S." ("Say your prayers for the world / Don't be scared, your time will come / Don't lose faith and keep your hope"). A track like "Cry No More" carries a message that life will be difficult and one cannot wallow in that pain: "No more reason to believe / What is false and what is real / Only need to carry on / Wash the pain and cry no more." While the lyrics of that song likely aim to encourage the listener that they can overcome life's challenges, one could also interpret them more harshly as a reprimand to toughen up. Such examples highlight how some of II's lyrics can be vague and taken in a variety of directions; in the case of "Cry No More," that could be for the worse. As an additional note for listeners, James sings a line twice that makes reference to a world that is "busy as h*ll" in the album's second track, "All I Want." Fans may discover an overall theme from the eleven songs, but overly moving or interesting lyrics do not appear here. Generally, the words lack a thoughtfulness this reviewer hoped to find in the LP.

In all, people will receive II differently depending upon what they hope for coming into the album. Those who want to hear some brilliant musicians from a variety of backgrounds come together for a melodic 80s metal sound, similar to Whitesnake in their heyday, will walk away quite pleased; others who like the genre but desire lyrical depth, Christian themes, or to hear Michael Sweet's voice more prominently may not enjoy this project as much. Still, this record is worth at least one spin for fans of Stryper, Whitesnake, or any of the other bands for which these five gentlemen have played. In the opinion of this reviewer, the songs most worth checking out from the supergroup's latest release are "Cry No More," "Open My Eyes," and "Take Me To The Place."

- Review date: 7/28/26, written by Noah Schmidt of Jesusfreakhideout.com