Frozen Soul – Crypt of Ice (Review)

Cold, colder, Frozen Soul. Frozen Soul provide a good start into the new year with their first album Crypt of Ice. The Texans present ten songs on their debut, which are probably straight out of the Ice Age (three songs are from the demo and were re-recorded for this album). The band’s sound is definitely striking. You could think that Frozen Soul come from Europe, because in some places they sound very much like Bolt Thrower and other greats of the scene. I really like the quality of the recording, it’s not too sterile and has some edges here and there, which fits the overall image of the band.

The album starts with the eponymous title track. After a short intro, definitely no prisoners are taken. The drum sound could hardly sound nastier, like a glacier slowly moving across the land, the drums shake every bone in the body. The whole thing is supported by thundering guitars that rage across the battlefield like a tank. I don’t know any band that manages to implement a Bolt Thrower sound so well. Especially the riffing always reminds me of this legendary death metal band. The slow break, which can be heard during the first song, quickly makes clear where the journey is heading towards. Death metal is skillfully mixed with some hardcore elements. This can wear thin quickly, but Frozen Soul wrap this up perfectly.

On “Arctic Stranglehold” the bestial vocals sound like they were recorded right in a cave. Here and there you can hear minor punk influence, especially the drums stand out with a variable sound. As with the first song, you get a nasty mosh part slapped in the face at the end. Whoever doesn’t swing a leg or headbang here, can’t be helped anymore. The fact that Frozen Soul can write hard songs is also proven with “Beat to Dust”, which is next to “Arctic Stranglehold” probably among the most brutal songs on the whole album. The interaction between the Bolt Thrower riffing and the brute drumming provide escalation! Many bands can write hard songs, but then usually every track sounds the same and you can hardly remember anything after one run-through. The Texans manage not to make exactly this mistake. The short synthesizer sounds used in some songs like “Twist the Knife” provide atmosphere and variety.

You could think that the band is trying to write a new soundtrack for horror movies such as “The Thing”. Additionally, on the last track, “Gravedigger” there is an intro that would be ideal for the aforementioned movie. The name of the band is program. In addition to the dark lyrics and around the theme of ice and snow, the songs also convey exactly this feeling. “Faceless Enemey” is the best example of this. A cold shiver runs down my spine every time I hear this song. You realize pretty quickly that Frozen Soul found a sound that suits them pretty early on. If you like Bolt Thrower or Mortician, you will get your money’s worth here. My expectations were very high concerning this album. What can I say? I would not be disappointed, on the contrary. The hype is real. Stay cold.

9,5 / 10

Favorite Tracks:
“Arctic Strangehold”
“Beat to Dust”
“Encased in Ice”