It took 22 years, but New Jersey/New York progressive metal act Ice Age have returned with their third album, Waves of Loss and Power, once again on Sensory Records, the prog-metal division of The Laser's Edge. Here in 2023, Ice Age is comprised of:
Josh Pincus: Vocals and Keyboards
Jimmy Pappas: Guitars
Hal Aponte: Drums and Percussion
Doug Odell: 4 and 5 String Electric Basses
Those who remember The Great Divide (1999) and Liberation (2001) will be happy to know that the band have basically picked up right where they left off. "The Needle's Eye" is a blistering prog-metal workout featuring all sorts of blazing guitar & keyboard trade-offs, complex & crushing riffs, dynamic rhythms, and Pincus' soaring vocals. Yes, he still sounds a bit like Dennis DeYoung of Styx fame...so lets get that out of the way right here. I said back when they first debuted that Ice Age are like a perfect mash-up of Styx and Dream Theater, and that thankfully hasn't changed. "Riverflow" is catchy and ultra memorable, the instrumentation expertly layered, and the rampaging "Perpetual Child, Part II: Forever" is a complete barnburner, and a sequel to a song from their debut album. Big sweeping keyboards, intricate drum & bass grooves, and some tremendous guitar playing from Pappas are just some of the highlights on this one. "Together Now" is another lengthy piece, followed by two shorter and more straightforward tracks, "All My Years" and "Float Away", each one filled with hooks and a great example of the range of Josh's voice. His lovely piano leads in the closing two-part "To Say Goodbye", which is actually part four and five of a track that was started on the first album and continued on the second, though part two seems to have yet to be recorded. Next album perhaps? This suite though takes up the last 17-minutes of the album, and features more of the sensational elements that this band do so well. Majestic, powerful, challenging...it's all there.
Hopefully we won't have to wait another 20+ years for a follow-up, but for now, it's a welcome return for Ice Age and easily one of 2023's best progressive metal albums.
Track Listing
1.
The Needle's Eye 07:04
2.
Riverflow 10:48
3.
Perpetual Child, Part II: Forever 14:35
4.
Together Now 08:00
5.
All My Years 04:35
6.
Float Away 04:31
7.
To Say Goodbye, Part IV: Remembrance 02:31
8.
To Say Goodbye, Part V: Water Child 14:45
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
