Ikon | |
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Origin | Melbourne, Australia |
Genres | Darkwave, post-punk, gothic rock |
Years active | 1991–present |
Labels |
Independent Echozone Nile Records |
Associated acts | Death in the Dark Jerusalem Syndrome The Seventh Dawn |
Website | IKON |
Members | Chris McCarter Dino Molinaro David Burns Clifford Ennis |
Past members | Michael Carrodus Anthony Griffiths Maurice Molella Anthony Cornish |
Ikon is a band from Melbourne, Australia. Ikon blends darkwave and post-punk music, following the footsteps of influences such as Joy Division and early New Order.
Chris McCarter (vocals, guitar, programming) and Dino Molinaro (bass) began to write songs as high school students in 1988, inspired by their love of alternative music. In 1991, the original band name Death in the Dark was replaced by IKON. The band’s original singer Michael Carrodus joined them in creating the first two albums In the Shadow of the Angel (1994) and Flowers for the Gathering (1996), which drew IKON to the attention of goth music fans in Europe and America through their signing to Apollyon and Metropolis. Music journalist Mick Mercer called them "pioneers in the Gothic genre".
The band continued to evolve in musical style after the departure of Carrodus in 1997. This Quiet Earth (1998) heralded a development in McCarter’s musical composition, spawning popular singles Subversion and Ghost in My Head. While the inclusion of electronic elements on the album shook up some fans of the band’s earlier Joy Division-influenced sound, IKON’s blend of traditional rock with electronics proved original and distinguished them from bands of the era who imitated the first wave of gothic bands.
On the Edge of Forever (2001) ushered in a return to live performance. Drummer David Burns and guitarist Anthony Griffiths (both of whom joined the band in late-1998) were integral to the development of the album, which abandoned the electronic experimentation of This Quiet Earth and returned to IKON’s rock roots. Nevertheless, DAC charting singles such as The Shallow Sea revealed further nuances to the band’s musical capacities, with its acoustic, dreamy melody.
The rejuvenated IKON set out on its first European tour in August 2001, the first of eight tours to come, which included a slot at Eurorock and a glimpse of how greatly their music had made an impact on the other side of the world. After this successful tour, the band was invited to play at the M'era Luna festival in 2002, with billing alongside The Sisters of Mercy, HIM, Soft Cell and London After Midnight and then their first of three appearances at Wave Gotik Treffen in 2003.