Frozen Soul - Crypt of Ice (Album Review)

Frozen Soul - Crypt of Ice
Release date: 8/1/2021
Label: Century Media Records
Written by: P.S.

2021 is here! Let's start the year off with a review of a band that are putting out their first full-length album today. You guessed right it's Texas-based Frozen Soul with the debut "Crypt of Ice", which is an album that I have been looking forward to, ever since the first single was released some time ago and I am not the only one, tons of metal medias have been giving this band much mentioning. Digging into the band the founding members Chad Green and Michael Munday meet in the most metal way I can think of, in a comic book store where they had instant chemistry and bonded truly over both board games and metal music. Here it was British Warhammer death metallers Bolt Thrower fired up the first couple of jams which eventually led to the first Frozen Soul song 'Hand of Vengeance' back in 2019. One year later the full line-up took shape with the addition of bassist Samantha Mobley, drummer Matt Dennard, and the second guitarist Chris Bonner that in 2020 entered the studio to record "Crypt of Ice". 

The lyrical theme has been stated by lead singer Chad Green as about depression, dealing with real life, and the venomous people that can inhabit it. The sound is mean and colt and lots of old school death metal riffs tie it all together. 

The title track 'Crypt of Ice' starts off with an 80s horror movie like intro, not lasting long before it's overtaken by the notorious death metal "Ugh!". The riffs burst in with groove and grind in just a perfect balance and sets the tempo and mood. 'Arctic Stranglehold' starts off with a death metal stomp that slows down the music a bit, before we return to the ever present groovt riffs and the march of war death metal, this is my personal favorite track of the album. There is a cool piano into on 'Hand of Vengeance', with the cold howling winter blizzard in the background that then goes into a morbid tale of death and vengeance. Next up is the song 'Wraith of Death'; this song is more focused on the vocal and the riffs are clearly meant to support the vocal and it works great. The next song 'Merciless' kicks it into gear with good solid groovy riffs that make you tap along and maybe do air guitar. 'Encased in Ice' which again starts with the howling winter winds and slowly builds up with a great old school groovy death metal riff, which cresendoes into a headbanging worthy "Ugh!". The song's middle part where you hear a guy getting stabbed is creepy and at the same time so perfect for the song, as it sends chills down your spine. After "Beat to Dust", the album is finished off by the closing tracks "Twist the Knife", "Faceless Enemy", and "Gravedigger" which are all great songs that wrap up a good solid death metal album.

In conclusion, I think this is a really good solid death metal album that I really enjoyed reviewing. I think it is great to hear a death metal band make a concept album with a ice, frost, and death metal theme. It hits home especially when you see how the band's presence in their music videos. Every song is catchy as hell with groovy riffs that you find yourself repeating in your head over and over again which is always a sign of great death metal. The things that I am not so thrilled with is the fact that this album sounds a lot like Bolt Thrower and that is a shame because I have no doubt that Frozen Soul has the potential to be a greater band alongside bands such as Gatecreeper and Blood Incantation that are grasping the next generation of death metal fans.

I give this album

Out of 6

Favorite Track: Artic Stranglehold Tracklist:

1. Crypt of Ice

2. Artic Stranglehold

3. Hand of Vengeance

4. Wraith of Death

5. Merciless

6. Encased in Ice

7. Beat to Dust

8. Twist the Knife

9. Faceless Enemy

10. Gravedigger

Bandcamp: https://frozensoultx.bandcamp.com/releases

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/frozensoultx/