Fire and Ice: 'Not of This Earth'

Fire and Ice: 'Not of This Earth'

There are so many records that I wanted to review from 2012 but didn’t get the chance to. Fire and Ice latest record Not of This Earth was most definitely one of them so I we’re in 2013 now, but it’s definitely worth a big mention.

I first listened to this band a couple of years back when they first released their demo and I thought it was pretty cool but, if I’m honest, nothing special. Soon after this they released Gods and Devils which showed a more promising sound and now a couple of years down the line and they release this corker of a record. As I say in a lot of my reviews ‘this style of hardcore won’t be for everyone’ and stand by that as there have been many mixed feelings over Not of This Earth. I stand on the side of the people who did appreciate this album as the themes were slightly different than your average hardcore band belting out lyrics about conspiracy theories and alien life forms in the universe. The metallic sound is not to miss, taking key elements of bands such as Cro-Mags and Leeway. I really enjoyed this record and thought it was one of the catchiest ones of 2012.

I think Fire and Ice have made a mark in the hardcore scene with this record and are bringing back the grooving metallic hardcore style from the late 80s but with a slight modern twist. The opening track also titled Not of This Earth kicks this full length off and sets the pace with a groove sound. The tracks History Repeats and Helpless throws some more dirty grooving metallic riffs to the listener which I thought were very catchy. The Devil’s Side is a decent track opening with a heavy down-tuned progressive guitar part leading into a very energetic part and the vocals sound simply awesome.  About Face is another memorable track with a head banging opening and an intense solo half way through, very satisfying.

I have to admit it took a while for this band to grow on me but if it’s your first listen I do recommend that you give it a few listens before finally judging it. The sound that Fire and Ice have chosen to go with is a good choice as they pull it off well. If you haven’t got around to getting this yet then you can get it here.