Lannon – Heaven’s Gate

Label: Self release
Release date: July 2020

Gothic-rock band Icon & The Black Roses from Portugal had released only 2 albums in total, one back in 2004 and the second and their last record ten years later than their debut in 2014, however they gained a significant following due to these 2 albums. I was definitely one of the fans. The frontman and vocalist of the band Johnny Icon since then has been active with his other projects such as Digital Ghost and Ace of Hearts. Lannon is one of them and maybe the most fan-favorite so far. And in summer 2020, Icon has finished Lannon’s second album called “Heaven’s Gate” after their debut called “Guide Me Through The Dark”.

Lannon is sometimes reminiscent of Icon & The Black Roses probably because they share the same singer but Lannon is definitely more electronic and upbeat and sometimes it even has some dark synthwave moments. In the band’s website, the description for their genre is ´Djent alternative metal`though, just to give you an idea about their sound.

To me, this record is more upbeat and has this more polished electronic rock sound with the overbearing synths compared to their debut “Guide Me Through The Dark”. This is not a bad thing at all as all of the tracks in this record are catchy and melodic as hell. Mr. Icon is a great songwriter as displayed in tracks like Rise and Fall, the first single Gold, and the eponymous track of the album, Heaven’s Gate. After a few rotations my favorite ones off the album have been the absolute banger Right Through You and Necromancer. First one is amazingly catchy with great composition, it took me back to the time of Icon & The Black Roses. The latter is very uptempo and a great example of electronic rock as a genre. Only track that seemed redundant to me was the rendition of Linkin Park’s classic Numb. Somehow, it feels to me like it adds nothing new to the record’s overall vibe. The album seems already done and perfect without it.

Without further ado, I recommend Lannon‘s “Heaven’s Gate” as perfect ear-candy to those who have a soft spot for melodic gothic rock.

Line up:

• Johnny Icon – Vocals
• Lucien Yorg – Guitars

Tracklist

1. Heaven’s Gate
2. Numb (Linkin Park cover)
3. Martyrs
4. Rise and Fall
5. Twin Souls
6. Gold
7. Necromancer
8. The Swarm
9. Right Through You

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnny.icon.1
Official: http://johnnyicon.net