Icy Steel

When I was beginning to delve into the metal scene, I never thought of Italy as a place that would be a hotbed for badass, riff-heavy epic metal. I always associated the country with the more flowery, pretentious side of modern power metal, symphonic keyboards and castrati vocals galore, and little to no actual metal in the mix at all. But what a fool I was, for Italy is really a breeding place for some of the most challenging and powerful heavy metal ever to stomp across the Earth, and we can thank Manilla Road for that much. Battleroar, Assedium, and now this band, Icy Steel.

Starting off with an intro that sounds like it was ripped from some gargantuan war movie, we then kick off into 9 tracks and about an hour of some of the most sprawling, epic heavy metal that there ever was. Icy Steel pretty much came out of nowhere with this debut, and although it took a while to do so, it really knocked my ass flat on the ground. This album is absolutely colossal, with one of the best damn production jobs I've ever heard on any metal album, ever, anywhere. The guitars are heavy and sharp without sounding modern or overproduced, and they have this razor-sharp, rumbling, nostalgic tone that I just can't get enough of. And that's not even talking about the riffs they churn out, which I'll get to soon enough. The drums pound down with considerable force, giving off a rather 'traditional' vibe that the entire band seems to just ooze here. This doesn't sound like a modern metal band playing music in a studio, being watched over by producers and agents everywhere, but rather a league of warlike barbarians creating some of the most elegant, sophisticated, yet ass-stomping metal you've ever heard. It's not an old school sound nor a 'new' sound, but rather 'traditional.' The music here sounds real, invoking images of war-torn ancient battlefields and battle-ravaged warriors looking up to a cloudy, unforgiving sky, or perhaps an engaging battle with a monstrous, towering dragon. Maybe I'm babbling, but those are really the only words I have to describe what the music on this album sounds like.

The vocals are delivered by Stefano Galeano, who I originally didn't like much (although now his voice sits just fine with me). He has a raspy, deep, un-catchy sort of voice that wouldn't really sound good with any other kind of metal band except one like Icy Steel, and his vocal lines are often sorrowful and melancholy, giving off a sad, wistful sort of vibe during the slower parts of the album, but can turn aggressive and angry at the drop of a pin. He reminds me slightly of Doomsword's current singer, except not as deep. Nonetheless, he belts out some highly cool vocal lines that may not be the most memorable, but they work. No other vocalist would be right for the kind of epic metal that Icy Steel is pumping out here.

With all of this rambling, I haven't even touched the core of what exactly makes Icy Steel so fucking awesome, and that's the tremendous amount of ass-stomping heavy metal riffs packed inside. This is a headbanger's feast, and it's full of some of the best riffs I've ever heard. The songs are long, and Icy Steel are such great songwriters that the songs never actually feel as long as they are, and the riffs just never get old. There isn't one boring moment on this disc, and every moment you will be pummeled by the clear, catchy, yet heavy and raw guitar riffs that Manilla Road and Slough Feg fans will eat up like a starving man would go for a rodent. The lead guitar tone is excellent as well, clear as a newborn baby's bottom, and it still stomps all over most of the over-produced modern shit of today, no contest. Just look at the tracklist, and you'll find heavy, punchy riffs and screaming steel leads galore. Even when the band goes soft and acoustic, they come off as majestic and worldly, a spectacle to be admired. It's hard to believe this is just a debut.

I could name standout tracks, but the entire album is a standout. It starts slow with "Me, River", and gradually builds in heaviness and energy until it reaches the climax in the 9 minute epic closer "Pandemonic Ride (The Last March)." Like an epic storytale, the album builds up a crescendo of rising power that eventually explodes, like a shooting star in the night sky, and listening to this album as a whole yields extremely satisfying results. Leaving me bloated and full, with no room for seconds or dessert, Icy Steel have created what may be one of the best 'true metal' releases of the year. This band is going places, and I'll be watching them the whole way through. Here's to years and years of more greatness from this band, and I highly recommend this to all fans of Battleroar, Manilla Road, and Slough Feg. You needed this yesterday.