The "Official" All Purpose Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Thread

NY Prog Metal band Ice Age returns after two decade hiatus on Sensory Records.



ICE AGE: New York Progressive Rock/Metal Act Returns After Two-Decade Hiatus; Band Signs With Sensory Records For New Album Due This Fall - Earsplit Compound

 

You know you're obsessed when you are sitting watching Eurovision waiting for Ronnie Romero to perform with Intelligent Music Project (for Bulgaria)

 

In a remotely related matter, I chanced upon an interview with Candice Night the other day on a local radio station.

 

new one from Riot City, sophomore disc coming later this year sometime.

 

OK, OK, ya gat me; relented and threw too many groats at Beelzebub's monopolist (I hate [myself for] doing that.)

 

Giving a listen to what I, and I think a lot of fans, have always considered the filler songs on these albums.

Quest For Fire - In a time when dinosaurs walked the earth, When the land was swamp and caves were home
I always found this opening line a bit cringe worthy, even as teen, and Dickinson's high note during 'home' ugh. Decent song though, maybe different lyrics would work for me. The break in the middle is pretty nice and seems to be something they've repeated many times over the years.

Sun And Steel - decent gallop but overall pretty generic and forgettable. I haven't missed anything skipping it all these years

Flash Of The Blade - solid enough song, nice guitar work. Not too far removed from the two Piece Of Mind songs above. Lots of repetitive lines, see also their next fifteen albums.

The Duellists - having just listened to the other three songs I'm thinking this is easily my favorite of the four. At around 1:50 it really gets cooking. I'd still rank it in the bottom half of Powerslave songs but I enjoy it more and find it less generic than the other three.

Also giving Losfer Words a spin as it took a beating in the recent 'unpopular opinion' thread.
I've always liked it well enough, and this spin was quite enjoyable, although I do agree with the one poster who thought it was sequenced too early in the album.

I'll take a stab at re-sequencing Powerslave to move it back.

Aces High
Powerslave
Flash Of The Blade
Back In The Village
Losfer Words

2 Minutes To Midnight
The Duellists
Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

I kind of like my sequencing, I found it more balanced - based on my preferences I often skipped songs 3 through 6, now it's a bit more of a full listen, YMMV of course. This is my least favorite of the first five IM albums, while a lot of fans rate this, and the two subsequent albums, much higher.

 

Yes!

Their first album was among my favorites of...2019? Whatever year it came out. Stoked for a new one!

 

I assume this will interest others here besides me, but Riding Easy Records is doing a reissue of Sorcery's Stunt Rock. CD and cassette this year and vinyl in 2023. They've also done some shirts and mugs, so that's cool. It's cool to see more niche stuff get the nice treatment. For this release, I will probably hold out for the LP. Their CD's are in cardboard sleeves, which is just a no-go for me. I do love cassettes, but this feels like a need-the-it-on-vinyl album.

SORCERY

 

Budgie - "Breadfan"

 

Quick stop off after title track 6 and it's what you men would no doubt declare a home run.

Very much have they channelled the 'Maiden with a liberal sprinkle of eau de Lizzy and at times, the singer even echoes Ozzy!

I dunno, maybe it's a little early to be mixing beer and wine but so far, so good... (production off the scale which is nice.)

 

If the 2013 record beats this then these are another new found obsession.

What I've just heard may be extreme synthesis but the execution is so damn good and it sounds so compelling, I couldn't give a rat's ass in a flying doughnut.

Very close to a 10, Very close indeed.

Slippers trikes again!

 

we interrupt this program to relive my youth mowing lawns for KISS record money

 

German import eh? Beautiful....

 

Not even the cats will go near this one...



Edit: Really a fantastic thrash album from the days before triggered drums and digital editing.

 

I tend to like the songs that made it into the live set. I do like the dinosaur song.

 

Probably my favorite by them but, you can't go wrong with any of their releases '83 through '91.

 

Do you like The Trooper? Have you noticed that The Trooper and Sun & Steel have the same galloping rhythm and that S&S is a bit faster? It seems to me that with all the love The Trooper gets, S&S would get about as much.
I've always like S&S because of the sweet gallop. The only thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't end right. With 45 seconds to go, there should be another verse or solo instead of singing the chorus 13 times.

 

Mine would be an EP:

Aces High
Powerslave
Flash Of The Blade
2 Minutes To Midnight

 

The Trooper is a top 10 IM song for me. Yes, there's definitely some similarities with the rhythm but, Sun & Steel just doesn't work for me overall. A very generic song compared to The Trooper which is pretty epic. Just my .02.

 

I just recently listened to their first three..such a blast from the past to a time that was so much simpler and all that really mattered in life was how loud you could play your thrash before your Mom came banging on the door to turn it down.

 

Audrey Horne continues to reel me in.

Another of these modernish chameleon bands whose myriad influences mix to produce a compelling cocktail of an outcome.

Track 8 'Toxic Twins' could be M. Stipe at the mic - quite bizzare - yet withal, it works... and how. Genuinely intriguing stuff.

 

Anyone have the CD version of this and if so is it worth $35?

 

Y

yes

 

That's a great way to get all the albums at a decent price. Then tack on the 40 Seasons compilation CD that is only a couple bucks at almost any used record store and you have all the good demos/unreleased stuff since the box set has no bonus tracks.

 

Does it include "Beggars Day"?