__________.____ ______________________________ .__ _______ ________ \______ \ | \_ _____/\_ _____/\______ \ |__|\ \ / _____/ | | _/ | | __)_ | __)_ | | \| |/ | \/ \ ___ | | \ |___ | \ | \ | ` \ / | \ \_\ \ |______ /_______ \/_______ //_______ //_______ /__\____|__ /\______ / \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ artist: Ice War title: Venom year: 2024 genre: Heavy Metal type: EP label: Ironbound Records language: English rel. date: 2024-11-30 source: WEB/MP3 quality: CBR 320kbps / 44.1 kHz / Joint Stereo runtime: 00:22:46 size: 54.87 MB rip date: 2024-12-09 source url: https://open.qobuz.com/album/is9o7s4n0q0bb tracklist: 1. Airstrike 4:15 2. Venom 4:12 3. Life in Waste 3:55 4. Passe-temps (Venin cover) 4:38 5. Saturday Afternoon Trouble (Venom cover) 2:05 6. Live like an Angel, Die like a Devil (Venom cover) 3:41 release notes: Following what could be best described as an unrelenting speed fest that bordered on primordial thrash metal in last year's Bloodsucker EP, Ice War has opted for a more calculating and melodically rich approach in line with its traditional heavy metal roots. That being said, 2024's EP Venom, which also doubles as a promotional release for the upcoming Feel The Steel LP, still comes with plenty of speed-infused brilliance and frostbitten aggression. It could be best likened to the imposing presence of a king cobra that has spread its hood before delivering a deadly strike, as opposed to the lightning fast strike that a pit viper might deliver before its pray even has time to take stock of its killer or even catch a peripheral glimpse before succumbing to its deadly fangs. To put it plainly, the cracked out obsession with Exciter and Motorhead has been traded out for something closer to a consistent tribute to the memorable hooks and melodic splendor of Iron Maiden. Multi-instrumentalist and mastermind of the project Jo Steel even goes so far as to trade out his throaty shout for something closer to the semi-clean, nasally resound of Manilla Road's sadly departed front man Mark Shelton. In many respects, the more fleshed out yet still roughed edged original material that rounds out the first half of this studio effort approximates the vintage essence of Crystal Logic a fair bit, though the riffing and solo work is a bit more flashy and less drawn out or otherwise prone to veering off into jam band territory. Pinpointing just where this EP shines the brightest is a tricky prospect, as the execution and quality of songwriting is fairly consistent throughout each second of its roughly 23 minute run. The opening speed anthem "Airstrike" definitely tends the closest to what most already familiar with Ice War's handiwork, slicing through the airwaves with fast riffs and dueling lead guitar lines and featuring a solid every man vocal performance. On the other hand, mid-paced crusher and title anthem "Venom" lays on the infectious hooks the hardest, leaving little mystery as to why it will be reprised on the upcoming Feel The Steel album. The driving push of "Life In Waste" is by no means a slouch either, though it does prove to be a bit more of a grower. The gritty rendition of Venin's "Passe-temps" and the two faithful Venom covers are also competently done, though Jo's vocal approach on the latter two proves a tad less menacing compared to the originals. Though a bit less chock full of madcap speed anthems than its immediate predecessor, Venom definitely holds the edge in terms of quality songwriting and sonic detailing. Album producer Ryan Tunn has done a rock solid job in channeling the mystique of the early 80s studio atmospher, not to mention providing a stellar showing on the lead guitar for the Venin cover. The only real weak link in this chain might be Jo's vocal performance, which while far from weak, does tend to clash with the more NWOBHM-like character of the songwriting where a more theatrical or otherwise powerful voice is usually perferred. Then again, given that this EP partially functions as a tribute to its namesake and forerunners of black metal, this could be likened to what Enforcer might do were they to adopt a Venom-like studio aesthetic. Either way, definitely an EP worth hearing by anyone with a taste for old school metal.