Night of the Crime

by Rob TheakstonConsidering how hard and furious Icon's eponymous debut record was, it would be a safe assumption that their follow-up would safely sail smoothly over the sophomore slump and bring them into the forefront of the heavy metal scene. Unfortunately, everyone's heard the adage about what assuming does to people, and that rings true with Night of the Crime. While Eddie Kramer does his best to keep the boys rocking out, the polish and obvious attempt at making a commercial record leaves much of the ten songs thin, almost like a diet version of Icon. The threats of rocking the listener's world are no longer evident, replaced by fables of black leather, red lace, and scorned lovers. Had a little more resistance to cover the topics du jour of the hair metal world been enacted, this would have been a great follow-up. Instead Night of the Crime presents MTV-styled fluff that will most likely be of interest only to the most loyal of Icon's fans.