__________.____ ______________________________ .__ _______ ________ \______ \ | \_ _____/\_ _____/\______ \ |__|\ \ / _____/ | | _/ | | __)_ | __)_ | | \| |/ | \/ \ ___ | | \ |___ | \ | \ | ` \ / | \ \_\ \ |______ /_______ \/_______ //_______ //_______ /__\____|__ /\______ / \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ artist: Ice War title: Ice War year: 2017 genre: Heavy Metal type: Album label: Shadow Kingdom Records language: English rel. date: 2017-09-29 source: WEB/MP3 quality: CBR 296kbps / 44.1 kHz / Full Stereo runtime: 00:30:30 size: 66.86 MB rip date: 2024-12-09 source url: https://www.deezer.com/album/110740222 tracklist: 1. Battle Zone 2:55 2. Dream Spirit 3:47 3. Standing Rock 3:33 4. I am the Prisoner 4:40 5. Slaver's Whip 3:25 6. Reverence of Gold 3:28 7. We Will Stand 4:32 8. Falling Out 4:10 release notes: Talk about getting it right the first time. After some single and EP releases we have the freshman full length platter from Ice War, a true force of frozen Arctic metal! This is one of those albums that almost requires a leather jacket, if only to keep the listener warm as waves of ancient ice and hail pummel them into submission. Truly I haven't been this taken with a band's debut in quite some time, but it's been awhile since I heard a band whose concept and imagery managed to seem so fully formed and fresh at such an early juncture in their history. With their self titled album, Ice War have concocted a sound and style that is comfortably nostalgic, yet somehow more original than the majority 80's worshipping bands. The cover was the first thing that grabbed my attention, it reeks of metal but has an air of class to it as well with a cool blue logo that looks more akin to something on an old movie poster. And while skeletons and metal have always gone hand in hand, here we have an undead Native American tribesman in full head dress staring us down as mother nature swirls in a gale behind him. Right away I knew it was one of the best album covers I'd seen in a while, and the blue rendering on the tray card makes for an impressive variant. An awesome cover is one thing, but what matters most is the actual music hiding underneath it. Admittedly the sound is a tad weird the first time it enters your ears, mostly due to an incredibly blocky recording sound which while old school in nature, is just kind of strange. The guitars and drums have a somewhat dry and lifeless character to them, which is in stark contrast to the level of energy in the material. I believe the drums may even be programmed, but they sound more organic than most drum machines I've heard, probably due to the production. Also while there is a lack of reverb on the instruments on the whole the vocals are often drenched in the stuff, adding up to a recording sound that is more similar to old UFO records than what is being released today. It doesn't take long to get used to however, and after a couple listens becomes another part of the record's charm. The songs themselves are outstanding; expertly crafted metal and hard rock tunes which are confidently executed. Catchy riffs and vocal lines abound in the opening tracks, but when "Standing Rock" kicks in with it's full bore double bass barrage and aggressive yet melodic riffing, it becomes clear that this is more than mere imitation of the past. The choruses are on this album are just monstrous, and what's crazy is almost every song manages to have a better one than the song preceding it! Indeed one of this album's biggest strengths is its pacing which seems to flow purely uphill. It is rare in this age of frontloaded albums made for people with short attention spans to hear an album that actually gets better song by song until its conclusion. You'll find yourself getting sucked into the boisterous freedom cry and huge vocal lines of "I am the Prisoner" only to be mercilessly beaten down by the "Slaver's Whip." This latter track ironically reminds of Maiden's "Running Free" while singing lyrics of being bound in shackles. The lead guitars are also quite tasteful, never being overly flashy but instead enhancing the songs with a simple, clean delivery and a sense of chalice hoisting wonder! For an album so full of strengths I guess I should mention it's most noticeable weakness: the vocals. Ice War main man Joe Capitalicide is clearly a talented dude and excels in the guitar and bass department, but he seems to have some real trouble putting forth the kind of performance these songs really call for. Thankfully he doesn't seem to care and really goes for it on every song despite his limitations. His singing style is hard for me to draw a real comparison to; a loud straining call in the higher register, a melodic yet soulless chant in the lower register, and all with very little use of vibrato. The closest I can think of would be Dave Vanian of the Damned singing in a metal band but even that's a stretch. Nevertheless, the limits in his range never really hinder any of the songs, instead imbuing them with the street level feel of early NWOBHM. In fact many of the vocal lines become more memorable due to his unique delivery and lack of technical flair. "Reverence of Gold" serves as a good example, where he uses a strangely clipped delivery that manages to convey some of the catchiest vocal lines of the entire album. The lyrics are also pretty unique, mostly focusing on history and the oppression of different peoples, though there are also themes relating to Native North Americans which make for something quite different than your usual fist pumping metal fair. At just under thirty and a half minutes, the album seems to end somewhat abruptly, but the short length has in turn only fueled my desire to revisit this cd so often. Of what I've heard so far, this is easily my favorite album of the year. Every track surges forward with energy, authenticity, and an endless supply of heavy hooks. I'm also reminded at times of the sincerity of a band like High Spirits, who like Ice War manage to play music that seems old yet is very forward thinking in its approach and willingness to stand out. No fan of traditional metal should be without the debut from this impressive Canadian band.