Possibly this is the most looked forward to deathrock/post-punk album of the year. Black Ice started as a side-project of The Phantom Limbs as an outlet for their darker sounds. Now Black Ice is a name on itself.
After a brilliant EP this is their real debut album. I must admit the record is both satisfying and a little disappointing at the same time. It is disappointing as it is all you can expect from this band, but nothing more. On the other hand it is a satisfying album as Black Ice is still artistically the most interesting contemporary deathrock/post-punk band around.
The record opens with ‘The Stillness’ in the bands typical haunting style. All ingredients are there: an unusual song structure, angular guitar pieces, nervous drum parts and some spooky tranquil passages.
Terrible Birds is not a dancefloor record. It features only one track suitable to dance to, but that track ‘Elixer’, is an instant hit. No fan of the genre can resists this energetic tune. The slower pieces like ‘Stitched Up’ and ‘In Winter’ have the mood of classic batcave music. In these tracks the band really shows their musical skills.
Black Ice can now, with their real debut album out, begin to broaden their fame. They should have no problem becoming as established as The Phantom Limbs.