Ice on Mercury are a four piece rock/borderline metal band from Adelaide and their self-titled e.p. is the second for the band. Hot on the heels of this release they will be embarking on a national tour to promote this sophomore release including shows in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide.
So is the e.p. any good? If you are a fan of older Faith No More, Foo Fighters, System Of A Down or even a bit of old fashioned metal the answer will be a big fat"YES!"
From the moment the opening riff belted through my speakers my interest was piqued, the song “Revolver” starts off with an “Appetite For Destruction” Slash-like riff before launching full steam ahead into a Jim Martin era Faith No More verse. For those that remember FNM back from the days when they still had a metal edge to their music. The track beckons the listener to sit down, strap themselves in and hold on for dear life. The pace is frantic and relentless but it is always held in check by strong a strong sense of melody and a catchy chorus, this is something the band does extremely well throughout all the tracks. It doesn’t matter how heavy or erratic the music gets it is all held firmly in check by a beautiful sense of melody and before I have even reached the half way mark of this track I am already a convert.
So is the e.p. any good? If you are a fan of older Faith No More, Foo Fighters, System Of A Down or even a bit of old fashioned metal the answer will be a big fat"YES!"
From the moment the opening riff belted through my speakers my interest was piqued, the song “Revolver” starts off with an “Appetite For Destruction” Slash-like riff before launching full steam ahead into a Jim Martin era Faith No More verse. For those that remember FNM back from the days when they still had a metal edge to their music. The track beckons the listener to sit down, strap themselves in and hold on for dear life. The pace is frantic and relentless but it is always held in check by strong a strong sense of melody and a catchy chorus, this is something the band does extremely well throughout all the tracks. It doesn’t matter how heavy or erratic the music gets it is all held firmly in check by a beautiful sense of melody and before I have even reached the half way mark of this track I am already a convert.
Each song is uniquely different and incorporates a lot of different music and vocal styles, never leaving the listener with a sense that tracks are repeating themselves. The second track “Diary Of Anne Frank” reminds me of a really cool L.A. band “London” (who were prominent in the 80’s), and really gives singer Almir the opportunity to showcase his ability. This is one very talented vocalist who is well supported by the musicians in the band who compliment his voice perfectly. Guitarist Nath understands when to pick up the pace and when to back off and let the vocals shine through, he is very well backed up in the engine room by Patrick (bass) and Michael (drums). These are very well written and superbly executed tracks that will remain in my playlist long after this review is completed.
The bottom line is this e.p. has a classic feel about it, the type that you know will never date as each track pays homage to classic bands of the 80’s and 90’s but still retains a modern originality about it. What you have here is five tracks that give you a tantalising taste of what the band are all about and leave you wanting to hear more. Stand out tracks for me are the above mentioned impressive opener “Revolver” and the grand finale “To Live Another Day”, but the remaining three tracks aren’t far behind. Do yourself a favour if you are a fan of good, solid rock/metal pick up a copy of this e.p. and catch the boys on their Clown Insane tour.
Review by Mike Trandafil
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