The Australia Gothic rock band Ikon has been on the scene for some time now, celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Their sophomore release 'Flowers for the Gathering' was just given a lavish reissue by Echozone, with an extra disc of rarities (there is also a three CD and DVD combo available); and allows for reflection on a band that Mick Mercer called “pioneers in the Gothic genre.” After listening to this album, I agree 100% with that assessment- they exemplify the very best of the genre, right up there with the mid-90s giants like Die Laughing, Rosetta Stone, and Big Electric Cat.

Let's start with the original album, 'Flowers for the Gathering' was released in 1996; and it's the closest thing we get to hearing Ian Curtis front Fields of the Nephilim, marrying mid-80s Goth acoustic guitars with Joy Division angst. Things kick off with the stunningly beautiful track 'Persuasion'- passionate, dark post punk guitars and murky drums led by shimmering bass married to Michael Carrodus's Curtis-like crooning. Then into 'Somewhere Else,' which has a similar feel to the Mission's 'Stay with Me' and a lush early New Order-like chorus. One thing that hasn't aged as well on the album is the electronic elements (I'm thinking the haunted house style organ intro to 'Into Your Madness' and 'On the Trail of Tears') but since they are kept to a minimum, it doesn't tend to distract.

'Beyond Gray Skies' is a sweeping, pastoral number; 'In Trust I Return' and 'On the Trail of Tears' combines 'Disintegration'-era Cure keyboards with an almost Morricone flavor. 'Camouflage Heart' pairs Mission-style acoustic strummings with 'Closer'-era despair; while more fast-paced, guitar scorchers like 'Into Your Madness' and 'Stranger I've Become' keep the balance nicely. The jangly element of Chris McCarter's guitars on 'Stranger I've Become' is reminiscent of some of the more catchy tunes in the repetoire of Morrisey and Marr. The interplay between instruments is amazing, but Carrodus' soul-searching lyrics give the record a desperate, effusive tone at times: “Something is here, it lies within/ there is life without an end.” Finally, the album closes with the majestic, breezy, and dark 'For Eternity,' awash in a wall of majestic guitar-scapes, this is probably the best song the Nephilim never wrote.

There are definitely some gems on the second disc- especially 'The Empty World,' a prime example of mid-90s Gothic Rock. 'The Gathering' is a brooding instrumental with melancholy strings; while the electronic-injected version of 'Somewhere Else (In Passing)' is impressive as well. 'Everlasting' starts out loud, awash in delay, and reminds me of the earliest and brightest moments of Death Cult; this is probably my favorite track on the release, there is a sense of urgency and drama in this that typifies for me what this era of guitar-driven dark music was about.

'Flowers of the Gathering' is a release I can't recommend enough; if you're even remotely interested in Gothic Rock, it doesn't get much better than this. It is a testament not only because it's a fantastic record by a great Gothic rock band from the mid-90s, but because this band continues to release relevant material to this very day.