Iconic: II – First Impressions

It’s been four years since the debut of hard rock supergroup Iconic, featuring Joel Hoekstra and Michael Sweet on guitar, legendary Tommy Aldridge on drums, Marco Mendoza on bass, and frontman Nathan James. Their album Second Skin was an insta-buy for me after only hearing the debut single, “Nowhere To Run.”

So it was great news to hear the band had reunited for a sophomore release, which came out this past Friday, titled, appropriately enough II. This isn’t a full Retrophisch Review, just first impressions from a single listen-through, plus a few re-listens from the released singles.

The TL;DR version is: if you liked the first album, you’ll like this album.

It’s really just more of the same, only more more. And this is in no way a bad thing. These are all incredibly talented musicians, and to have them all together in one band, even if it’s only for album releases and maybe a one-off live show, is a real blessing. The elder statesmen in the group have lost none of their fastball, as Hoekstra and Sweet trade off blistering riffs and solos, while Aldridge and Mendoza ably hold down the rhythm section with all their trademarks. And how can you not think Nathan James was born to front hard rock bands with a voice like that?

I am a little disappointed that Sweet’s vocals weren’t featured more on this second album, as they were on the first. However, I can totally understand if either the material didn’t lend itself to that end, or he himself chose not to. Michael has been very forthcoming in interviews and online that he considers himself a guitarist first, and a vocalist second. Having just seen him live with Stryper a couple of weeks ago, he certainly looks like he’s having the time of his life when he’s shredding. And he’s certainly having fun on this album.

There have been five singles released up to release day, and you can find videos of them on YouTube. Of the five, “Heart of Stone” is my favorite, both for the song, and the comics motif used:

And to show how people’s musical interests vary, even within a single album, there has not yet been a video released for any of my three favorite songs from the new album:

  • Far Away
  • Open My Eyes
  • Nothing Left for Me

If you miss the hard rock music of the ‘80s, and want something from utter craftsmen of the genre, then this is an album for you.

My favorite Slovakian power metal band has a new single out, and music video to accompany it. Ronnie König, the band’s founder and bassist:

“As most of our fans know, we started working on the Beyond Spacetime album with an incomplete line-up. We didn’t have a permanent singer, so we decided to approach it the same way we did with the Exodus album back in 2013, by inviting guest singers. However, then life happened and arranged everything for us in a very special way: during the recording process, we reconnected with two of our former singers, Mayo Petranin and Jota Fortinho, and together we decided it would be amazing to welcome both of them back into the band. To celebrate and highlight this reunion, we did a brand-new song featuring both of them singing together. The title of the song is ‘Echoes of Glory.’ This reunion isn’t just for this one track — it’s for the years to come! The line-up you see in the video is the one that will also play live.”

Mayo was the band’s lead singer when I first learned of Signum Regis, and it’s great to see him back in the fold. Here’s “Echoes of Glory”:

Stryper is releasing a new album this fall, Throne of Thorns, and have a released a music video of the title track:

It’s just amazing how these guys haven’t lost their fastball. You can hate them all you want, but you cannot deny they’re still bringing it from a talent perspective.

250

From the Declaration of Independence:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

(Emphasis added)

My fellow Americans, may we take this time to be grateful to live in the greatest nation on Earth, that we continue to be that shining city on the hill for all freedom-loving people, and may God bless America.

Today’s order is the answer to life, the universe, and everything. #IYKYK

And tacos!

Fuzzy's Taco Shop receipt showing order #42

Looking at @BasicAppleGuy’s post comparing Tahoe to Golden Gate macOS icons, literally every single one is better in Golden Gate.

Now if we could just get icons for Photos, Journal, and Shortcuts that actually hinted at what app they were for might do, that would be greeeaaaat, k?

Also, could someone at Apple please, for the love of God, either give us options to change the color of the Music icon and its accompanying graphics therein (especially on iOS), or pick a better color than that garish neon pink?

WWDC 2026

Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference began today, as always with the Keynote, where the next versions of all of its OSes were announced. macOS 27 will be called “Golden Gate,” and, of course, there is a new OS-specific wallpaper. I was very enamored with the dark version, and thanks to Basic Apple Guy, it now adorns my MacBook Pro’s PowerBook’s desktop:

Screenshot of my MacBook Pro's desktop with the macOS 27 Golden Gate dark wallpaper

Because I have a free Apple Developer account, I have access to the developer betas of the new OSes. I only have one machine that can run the new Mac OS, and I’m not about to put that on my everyday machine. I do, however, have an iPhone 12 mini that I’ve been dabbling in iOS 26 with, so I decided to put iOS 27 on there as well, most notably to check out the supposed improvements regarding Liquid Glass.

It was noted during the keynote that there is now an opacity slider for iOS, so you can reduce the transparent glassiness of the OS. However, if you want to turn that completely off, as I do, your best bet remains going to Settings -> Accessibility -> Reduce Transparency.

Lock screen screenshot after first iOS 27 developer beta installation
Lock screen screenshot after first iOS 27 developer beta installation
Screenshot from first iOS 27 developer beta with the opacity slider and Reduce Transparency pop-up
Screenshot from iOS 27 developer beta with opacity slider and Reduce Transparency pop-up

With actual developers I count as friends and acquaintances, it’s going to be interesting to see what they have to say in the coming weeks. Apple releases the new operating systems to the public in the fall.

This is pretty great. Love Seth’s enthusiasm. That transition at 4:20 is <chef’s kiss>.

This is a nifty little interactive map tool that Eric. S Raymond posted about on Twitter X, where you can select all the states you’ve visited. Here’s mine:

Create a map at Fla-shop.com

As of June 1, 2026, I’ve been to 32 states (well, 31 plus DC), or 63% of total.

Retrophisch Review: The War for Middle-earth

Cover for the book 'The War for Middle-Earth' by Joseph LoconteIt’s difficult to know where to even start with a review for this book. Joseph Loconte has woven together such a thoroughly enjoyable story of the blossoming and growth of Tolkien and Lewis’s friendship, and how they combined forces during the darkest of times to shine light where they could in the only ways they could.

It was enlightening to learn little tidbits here and there that I didn’t know, as Lonconte combined facts and quotes from sources I have not yet gotten to. And it’s all so easily read and digestible. I was struck, as he laid the groundwork for the state of the world at the conclusion of the First World War and in to the 1920s, how, despite the move from Modernist to Post-Modernist thinking in the majority, we really have not moved on from the attitudes so prevalent during that day. The parallels, in so many ways, are so striking that it is a bit disheartening to think that history is on its way to repeating itself. After all, as the maxim goes, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” and man, it doesn’t seem like we’ve learned much at all.

At the end, however, one cannot be left anything but hopeful, that so long as we keep the fires Tolkien, Lewis, and their contemporaries lit during this time period, that more can be brought out of the darkness and in to the light. All with the help, of course, of our Heavenly Father, the creator of Narnia and Middle-earth as much as Lewis and Tolkien were. I highly recommend this book!

5/5 phins
Amazon: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle
Bookshop: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook