...ICE DRAGON/SPACE MUSHROOM FUZZ – ‘Crystal Future’ Split

With a continual gain in altitude Boston’s Ice Dragon have been ascending along a creative trajectory that has miraculously shown no signs of losing momentum. Not only has the band produced a vast amount of material in the past few years, but they have done so with nary a misstep. For their latest release Ice Dragon have teamed-up with like-minded freak-out psychedelic cosmic rockers Space Mushroom Fuzz for the ‘Crystal Future’ split. Their collective DIY work ethic, geographical proximity, and penchant for crafting mind-bending sonic tapestries makes for one hell of a complementary split release.

Ice Dragon kicks things off with “New Blue Horizon”, a reverb-and-delay-drenched bliss-out that is poised to burn through the exosphere and into the cold void of space. Pedal-abused interstellar noise and undulating bass-lines are accented by Ron’s vocals and some great spaced-out leads. After hearing this tune and their last single, “Demons From Hell”, it’ll be interesting to see where their heads are at on the next album. Following “New Blue Horizon” is the brief atmospheric instrumental “Slowly We All (Into the Bottle) Fall”, though reportedly recorded around the time of the ‘Tome of the Future Ancients’ sessions the track fits perfectly with “New Blue Horizon” by acting as a melancholic come-down.

Similar in tone yet different in execution is Space Mushroom Fuzz’s “A Peak Into the Future”. Rather than depending on otherworldly distorted noise, Space Mushroom Fuzz produces narcotizing effects with enveloping synth waves, acoustic guitar, and ethereal vocals. The cold, isolating currents that carry the listener downstream are occasionally accented with emotive electric guitar leads and swirling eddies of synth noise. The delightfully weird “A Timely Idea” closes out the split release and functions similarly to Ice Dragon’s brief, atmospheric track, though “A Timely Idea” is accompanied by an indiscernible vocal rhythm. The most immediate point of reference for Space Mushroom Fuzz’s contributions would be, among others, Granddady—particularly the detached psychedelia of ‘The Sophtware Slump’.

The ‘Crystal Future’ split is a tremendous pairing of two seemingly likeminded bands. Ice Dragon and Space Mushroom Fuzz, though on different pages sonically, heave each crafted laidback, heavy-psych tunes perfect for altered states of consciousness or floating aimlessly through space. One of the year’s finest split releases.

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…I hope you meet your end: ICE DRAGON - ‘Dead Friends and Angry Lovers’

Originally released under the moniker of Slow Heart, ‘Dead Friends and Angry Lovers’ has now been absorbed into the vast, ever-expansive catalogue of Ice Dragon—probably where it belonged in the first place. This review is being reposted to hopefully draw some well-deserved attention to a killer release that may have flown under the radar…

Boston’s genre-hopping three-piece, Ice Dragon, released one of the most compelling, tripped-out doom metal albums of 2012 with their excellent fourth full-length ‘Tome of the Future Ancients’. Seemingly not content to tread the same path twice, the band has pushed their collective sonic palettes into drone, 60’s psychedelia inspired dream-pop, and kraut-rock influenced freak-out territories among others. When not recording as Ice Dragon, the band has also assumed the identity of Tentacle—a dark, acerbic doom/drone/sludge abomination that worships at the altar of Cthulhu. Not to leave any stone unturned, the band—recording as Slow Heart—has bypassed the space-time continuum and released ‘Dead Friends and Angry Lovers’, a moody, reverential collection of tunes that would be right at home on an 80’s college rock radio station played amongst Bauhaus, The Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, or The Birthday Party. This may not be the doom metal or psychedelic rock that Ice Dragon has become synonymous with, but the five tracks that comprise ‘Dead Friends and Angry Lovers’ are a collection of atmospheric, sparse compositions that channel the best of 80’s post-punk and goth-rock.

“We Want the Night” opens the album with a gentle drumbeat alternating steadily between snare and bass before the heavily reverbed lead guitar protests dreamily in the background. Lead vocalist Ron Rochondo has further developed vocally by assuming a croon that falls somewhere between the sonorous, deep baritone singing voices of Nick Cave and Andrew Eldritch. “We Want the Night” establishes the mood for the rest of the album through its barren, minimalist composition that runs like a vein through three of the remaining four tracks. “Alone and Red” veers slightly from the minimalist goth-rock tendencies of “We Want the Night” in favor of an orchestral drone. This second track adds a meditative texture to ‘Dead Friends and Angry Lovers’ and serves as a foil to the remaining spectral compositions. “Never Trust a Woman (Dressed in Black)” is, musically, the best song that Echo and the Bunnymen never recorded provided said Bunnymen were on a steady diet of downers and didn’t give a fuck of whether they sold an album or not. “Die Tonight” is the soundtrack for a torturous descent into a personal abyss. The repetitive, haunting two notes played on the keyboard drives the anguish straight into the skull. ‘Dead Friends and Angry Lovers’ ends with the instrumental track “11:54pm (Waiting on Midnight)”. While this fifth track fits in well and remains consistent with the album as a whole, it could just as easily be a long lost Portishead demo minus the trip-hop tendencies.

In the absence of Ice Dragon or Tentacle I’ll take Slow Heart any day. Ron, Joe, and Carter have nailed it by drawing inspiration from late 70’s/early 80’s goth-rock and post-punk to create an album that transcends both the scene and era that influenced it. Ice Dragon’s fifth full-length, ‘Dream Dragon’, found the trio experimenting with lighter, psychedelic rock with much success, but ‘greyblackfalconhawk’ and now Slow Heart’s ‘Dead Friends and Angry Lovers’ confirms that Ron, Joe, and Carter are more than proficient at creating dark, atmospheric tunes seemingly on a whim. Here’s looking forward to more Slow Heart Ice Dragon in the future...

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…nothing now remains: ICE DRAGON – ‘Steel Veins b/w Queen of the Black Harvest’

It’s become exhaustive conjuring forth adjectives and explanations describing how Ice Dragon pretty much do whatever the fuck they want. Under a handful of monikers Ron, Carter, Joe, and recent addition Brad have covered Sabbathian doom, Cthulhu-inspired drone-terror, dream pop, and with this year’s masterful ‘Born a Heavy Morning’ AM radio influenced tunes that transcend the source material simply by being channeled through the subconscious collective that is Ice Dragon. Despite the occasional curveball Ice Dragon have yet to make a weak album. Though 2013 hasn’t been quite as productive as 2012, the band has released some of its trippiest, most far-out material and, as Tentacle, some of the most sinister and acerbic. With 2013 coming to an end Ice Dragon have unexpectedly unleashed ‘Steel Veins b/w Queen of the Black Harvest’, two tunes that delve into the doomier side of the band. For those who have missed the doomed-out heft and crawl of ‘The Burl, the Earth, the Aether’, ‘The Sorrowful Sun’, or ‘Tome of the Future Ancients’—prepare to rock-the-fuck-out.

It’s clear from the first few notes of the opening bassline that “Steel Veins” is going to be something special. After the brief bass intro signifying nothing short of impending doom the guitars come crashing in for a wholly enjoyable experience. The guys still have it. “Steel Veins” has everything that made early Ice Dragon releases so great—crawling mid-tempo guitar crunch, simple yet ominous Mark Adams’ styled basslines, and Ron’s ability to pair his vocals with virtually any type of cacophony the band is creating. On the flip-side, “Queen of the Black Harvest” trades in a bit of the guitar crunch for a stoner-doom groove that is embellished with moments of crashing percussive noise, backwards winding tape abuse, and a return to the darker, fantasy inspired lyrics that would have been right at home amongst the tracks of ‘Tome of the Future Ancients’.

One of the most impressive aspects of Ice Dragon is that they are not afraid to experiment or push their creative boundaries. The band is able to draw from a variety of influences and styles in order to create something new without resulting in mere pastiche. And they do it well. The only significant thread throughout the band’s discography is a heavy dose of psychedelia and ‘Steel Veins b/w Queen of the Black Harvest’ is no exception. Even though Ice Dragon has released a fair amount of material that could be considered doom, it had looked as if the heavier side of the band would be forever relegated to output from Tentacle. Again, Ice Dragon has thrown another curveball with “Steel Veins” and “Queen of the Black Harvest”—a Hell-of-a-way to close out the year. Highly recommended…

Words: Steve Miller
(Originally published at Temple of Perdition)

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...how strange when hallucinations die: ICE DRAGON – ‘Born a Heavy Morning’

Lo-fi vibes and orphaned transmissions are tuned-in and then rebroadcast through the aether on Ice Dragon’s seventh long-player, ‘Born a Heavy Morning.’ Seemingly content to move even further from the psych-inflected metal of the band’s peerless doom trilogy, the overall tone of ‘Born a Heavy Morning’ has more in common with last year’s tripped-out ‘Dream Dragon’, but musically lies somewhere between the melancholic folk of the “Season of Decay” single and the moody meditations of ‘The Soul’s Midnight’ EP. Add to that blend heavy and unlikely doses of jangle-pop and whimsy and you might have an inclination of what to expect this time around. AM radio channeled through busted-up, acid-damaged transistors never sounded so good.

Ice Dragon has been uncoiling and experimenting with their sound essentially since their inception, but 2012 marked a huge leap into unexplored territories for the band in regards to recorded output. It’s their collective ability to indulge whims and tread new paths all the while maintaining the semblance of cohesion and consistency that really separates Ice Dragon from the horde.

With ‘Born a Heavy Morning’ the band is seemingly preoccupied with early-to-mid 60’s psych-pop, especially on the first half of the release. The album’s sunny—by way of The Monkees or The Turtles—opener, “Wakin’ Up”, is a fleeting and fanciful tune that could easily have been released by any of the acts associated with 60’s revivalist collective the Elephant 6 Recording Co. “In Which a Man Rises, Washes, and Eats Before Work”, the first of four dreamy and hazy soundscape interludes, reinforces the idea of having a “heavy morning”. “We’ll Go on a Trip, You and I”, initially sounds like the bouncy, whimsical companion piece to the opening track, but the band filters the tune through a sheet of blotter, the results of which seem to bridge the incomprehensible gap between Syd Barrett’s ‘The Madcap Laughs’ and ‘Yerself is Steam’ era Mercury Rev.

While ‘Born a Heavy Morning’ may have its fair share of blissed-out tunes the album isn’t all incense and peppermints. “The Past Plus the Future is Present”, arguably one of the album’s highlights, is a brooding, otherworldly voyage where siren-like guitars wail and moan over a thick bassline for what remotely sounds like, musically, an unearthed Portishead demo. “We are the Hopeless’, with its Birthday Party-like guitar riff and Ron’s baritone Nick Cave croon, echoes the post-punk and goth-rock leanings of the band’s alter-ego, Slow Heart. Adding to the eclectic nature of “Born a Heavy Morning” is the melancholic blues of the outstanding ninth track, “Square Triangle”. Here Ice Dragon layers slide guitar beautifully over a morose, downtrodden groove. Closing out the album is “(I Will) Watch My Hair Grow”, a moving, somber track that captures the dysphoria of a morning comedown.

After Ice Dragon’s appearance at the Scion Rock Fest this past June I was expecting the band’s predilection for doom to be reinvigorated and for ‘Born a Heavy Morning’ to be, well…heavy as fuck. Despite the lack of “heaviness”, ‘Born a Heavy Morning’ is the band’s trippiest and most diverse album to date and the perfect way to cap off a summer. Another killer, eclectic release from the ever-evolving Ice Dragon. Also notable is that this is the band’s first release to be issued on CD courtesy of Navalorama Records.

Words: Steve Miller
(Originally published at Temple of Perdition)

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...Fuck your existential crisis: ICE DRAGON – ‘The Soul’s Midnight’ EP

The doomed-out dabblers of supreme skull-fuckery, Ice Dragon, have made their first offering of 2013—presumably/hopefully the first of many—a four song EP that in its earliest incarnations yielded both “drunk” and “high” versions of the title track. ‘The Soul’s Midnight’ finds the three-piece mining the morose, down-tempo landscapes of ‘greyblackfalconhawk’ but without the overarching drone influences. Like the rest of the band’s releases ‘The Soul’s Midnight’ is its own beast, yet the end result is irrefutably the product of the ever-evolving Ice Dragon.

A writhing bass line carries the weight of lead track “The Soul’s Midnight” of which the final mix is rumored to be the “really really high” version. A sinister, forlorn vibe permeates the track as it marches forward. While the opener relies heavily on repetition there are enough subtle nuance that keep the track interesting, particularly near the three minute mark where the song momentarily deconstructs before quickly reconstituting awash in eerie synths. The second track, “Understanding Ouroboros”, kicks off at a galloping pace and builds in intensity before the bottom falls out and the listener plummets into the depths of paranoia. “Stellar Door”, is an ambient piece of rolling synth waves that, at times, recalls Lalo Schifrin’s film score to THX-1138. It’s cold, desolate, and thematically right at home amongst the four tracks of the EP. At ten minutes in length “Winterwind” closes out the collection. The first half of the track is a mellow, reverb heavy meditation that musically calls to mind the band’s goth-rock project, Slow Heart. “Winterwind” slithers forward while almost imperceptibly increasing in severity until eventually escalating into a mid-paced stomping rhythm.

Ice Dragon’s ‘The Soul’s Midnight’ is a moody, somber affair that finds the band, once again, indulging their whims and journeying into unexpected sonic territories. The band continues to astonish not only with the quantity of the music that they are able to produce, but also with the quality of the tunes. If anything it is the band’s sheer love of music, among other artistic forms, that comes across in their recordings. ‘The Soul’s Midnight’ can momentarily stave off the dysphoria—a symptom created by the band’s prolific nature—that is associated with waiting for the next Ice Dragon release or material from the many associated off-shoots.

Words: Steve Miller
(Originally published at Temple of Perdition)

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Ice Dragon – ‘greyblackfalconhawk’

Ice Dragon is here to ruin your day. The Boston, Massachusetts trio has spawned no less than three full-length albums—four if you include the release of their previously recorded self-titled debut—and a couple of split 7”s within the short span of seven months. Beginning with the self-titled debut and continuing with both ‘Dream Dragon’ and ‘greyblackfalconhawk’, Ice Dragon has evolved from their psych-heavy doom sound into a band willing to indulge their whims without sacrificing their identity or overall essence. There is no mistaking an Ice Dragon release for anything other than an Ice Dragon release.

Referring to the band’s albums by year is almost an exercise in futility at this point. So, if July’s ‘Dream Dragon’ was the feel good, blissed-out summer album of the year, then September’s ‘greyblackfalconhawk’ is the grim, rainy-day flipside to that coin. Long gone are the Summer of Love influences that graced tunes like “Dreamliner” or “Stumble Onto Magic” and absent is the baroque-pop homage of “Every Little Star” and “A Dragon’s Dream, Part I” in favor of a darker hypnotic approach that is wrought with an air of discontented introspection.

‘greyblackfalconhawk’ isn’t the band’s most immediate or accessible release, but it is probably their most singular and consistent full-length in regards to overall atmosphere. This is meditative doom for the downtrodden, a sentiment best exemplified by the album’s second track “takeitallaway”, a claustrophobic anthem of suffering and release. Down-tuned, electric bass drone, occasional acoustic guitar strums, and wailing vocals march this melancholy dirge toward its conclusion. The second half of the track is accented by a shift in drumming dynamics and the chorus lamentation of “takeitallaway”. The end result is a trance-inducing tune of subtle dynamics.

Even though the album induces an overall mood of paranoia and desperation through its combination of ambient textures, droning guitars, and discordant tones, there are still moments of poignant tenderness. “everythingisawaste”, one of the shortest tracks on the album, stands out as a sliver of light amidst the shadows for its delicate, heartrending instrumentation and vocal delivery. Despite its subdued simplicity “everythingisawaste” stands as one of Ice Dragon’s most memorable tunes and shines as an album highlight.

While the band has slightly strayed from the sound of their first three proper releases, they have not completely abandoned the world of doom, but rather have found new ways to channel and express their shadowy arts. ‘greyblackfalconhawk’ may take some time to fully appreciate, but the elements that make every other Ice Dragon release so memorable are still present, it’s just that these alchemists have adjusted the potency and balance of their ingredients. The album is currently available for purchase on the band’s Bandcamp page. Do yourself a favor: download a copy and listen to it while dwelling on missed opportunities and the wrongs that you have committed…

Words: Steve Miller
(Originally published at Doommantia)

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Ice Dragon/Kroh Split 7"

The ever prolific psyche/doom outfit, Ice Dragon, has teamed up with industrial influenced miscreants, Kroh, for a split 7” that is a diametrically opposed study in the dark arts separated by both essence and execution. Musically, both bands unleash up-tempo rockers that are thoroughly distinct within their catalogues while managing to maintain a semblance of familiarity to each band’s chosen path. Birmingham, England’s Kroh infuse a dose of early 90’s, Wax Trax! era industrial rock that is equal parts 1000 Homo DJs, ‘Psalm 69’ era Ministry, and the Butthole Surfers at their most mainstream, without sounding as abrasive or experimental as any of the above bands. Ice Dragon, on the other hand, embrace their familiar lo-fi production to beckon forth a galloping, sword-and-sorcery fueled anthem straight from the Enchanted World.

Kroh’s offering, “White Lies”, is an anomalous union of tribal drumming, charged industrial guitar riffs, and melodious vocals. The vocals of Francis Anthony are a distinguishing characteristic of Kroh’s sound and a key element that really separates the band from many of their influences. Kroh ignores the dominance of heavily distorted vox celebrated and selectively employed by many of the late 80’s/early 90’s era industrial acts in favor of a style that is more tuneful and saccharine. While initially cloy, the vocals offer an interesting juxtaposition to the dark lyrical content and instrumentation that dominates the band’s songs. “White Lies” easily stands out as one of Kroh’s strongest tunes to date and, despite its divergent approach, complements Ice Dragon’s contribution to the split.

“The Hooves of My Lord” gallops up and tramples the listener from the onset with a mesmerizing, infectious riff suitable as a soundtrack for strutting your stuff at the renaissance faire in a homemade tunic.  The track marches along triumphantly—slowing down to allow for some psychedelic lead guitar—only to bridle up and dash into the nether at a breakneck pace. Hail to thee, Oh Minotaur. This may be one of Ice Dragon’s catchiest endeavors and, yet again, illustrates that their creative depths are seemingly boundless.

The Ice Dragon/Kroh split is essential listening for fans of either band as both bands have contributed memorable, catchy tunes that make this split 7” a worthwhile purchase. The 7” is limited to 80 orange and 120 green discs of standard weight vinyl, so pick this up before it’s gone for good. Track it down through either band’s Facebook or Bandcamp page.

Words: Steve Miller

(Originally published at Doommantia)

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Ice Dragon - 'Dream Dragon'

After an initial spin of Ice Dragon’s fifth full-length, ‘Dream Dragon’, it would be easy to come to the conclusion that the band has upped their daily allowance of hallucinogenics, flipped their collective lids, blacked out the windows of Ron’s Wrecker Service with tin foil, and recorded their latest moody, blissed-out opus with ‘Easy Rider’ playing in the background on a continuous loop. While ‘Dream Dragon’ is a departure for the prolific psychedelic doom outfit it isn’t a complete one-eighty, but rather a shift in focus. All of the elements of earlier releases are still present; it’s just that the prescribed dosages have been changed. Acoustic passages, ambient noisescapes, 60’s inspired jangle-pop, and straight-up rock ‘n’ roll are effortlessly interwoven to create one hell of an enjoyable album.

The aptly titled “Dreamliner” opens the album and is the soundtrack for floating down the river of a gentle mountain stream in an inner tube on a lazy afternoon. It’s a delicate, beautiful, sway-inducing tune that really sets the tone for the rest of the album. The second track, “Maximum Trip”, increases the grit, revs the engine, and blasts off into road-trip territory. This is the track you want to be listening to while kicking up dust in a fear and loathing inspired cross-country, flesh suitcase drug delivery. “Stumble Onto Magic” is another album stand-out that shifts between psychedelic melancholia and up-tempo burner.  “I Know You’re in Here” is an atmospheric/noise freak-out straight from Pink Floyd’s ‘A Saucerful of Secrets’ playbook. “Beard of Thieves” most closely resembles the Ice Dragon of yore and could have fit comfortably among the tunes on ‘The Sorrowful Sun’. “For Once in My Life” begins with one of the most emotional guitar leads that Ice Dragon has laid to tape accompanied by a vocal delivery suggestive of a man baring his soul. 

The remainder of the album is a meandering journey where every corner turned reveals new surprises. While this release may showcase a softer side of Ice Dragon, it illustrates that the band refuses to be constrained by any one particular style or genre. The recent release of the band’s self-titled album is good preparation for what is to be discovered on ‘Dream Dragon’. The real beauty here is that the band continues to experiment and is able to effectively push boundaries and experiment while maintaining a consistent overall sound. Sure, the band could have chosen a new moniker to release their latest release as they have done with the darker, doomier Tentacle, but ‘Dream Dragon’ still fits comfortably within the pantheon of Ice Dragon releases.

‘Dream Dragon’ is the sound of a band indulging their creativity and their influences while having a blast in the process. This is a significant progression for Ice Dragon in terms of songwriting, playing, and Ron’s vocals show their greatest range. Hopefully Ice Dragon will continue to grow and release material that challenges their listeners. While this lighter side is a fantastic change of pace, hopefully they won’t completely abandon their doom roots on future releases…9/10

Words: Steve Miller
(Originally published at Doommantia)

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Ice Dragon - 'S/T'

No band working today has been able to quite capture the ethos of Black Sabbath without resorting to mere idol worship with the exception of Boston’s Ice Dragon. They play contemporary psyche-doom filtered through a lo-fi, do-it-yourself ethic. Sure, the band doesn’t boast the creative jazzy drumming of a Bill Ward or the anchoring mass of a Geezer Butler, but Ice Dragon does lay down experimental and atmospheric doom metal of catastrophic proportions. This three-piece has produced three quality albums in as many years, so this collection of songs released as their 2007 debut is approached with much anticipation.

Previously unreleased material of artists usually has been unreleased for a reason. This material is often unfinished rough cuts, inferior material, or songs that are a steep departure from a band’s established discography. Sometimes, though, this unreleased material serves to illuminate another dimension of a band by revealing a few hidden gems. For the most part, like many other bands, Ice Dragon’s “S/T” falls into the former category.

A distinctive characteristic of Ice Dragon’s discography is the lo-fi production of their albums. While the band could benefit from a thicker production, especially with a boost to the low-end, it is indisputable that they have found their own sound. “S/T” is even further mired with a thin production compared to their other releases. The end result is a lighter, much more psychedelic inflected album by a band that comes across as if they are still searching for their niche.

Album opener ‘Wasted Nights’ is probably the best intimation of greater things to come from the band on future releases. The main riff isn’t quite as foreboding as typical Ice Dragon fare, but it is a doom-tinged head nodder accompanied by psychedelic washes of ethereal distortion. Definitely an album highlight.

Ice Dragon’s ability to effectively maneuver between softer, acoustic tunes or cataclysmic, mind-expanding doom is one of the bands strong suits and another feature that channels the essence of Black Sabbath. “S/T’s” third track, ‘So Far Away it Has No End’ falls into the hidden gem spectrum of previously unreleased material. It’s a simple acoustic number with distant vocals that exemplify longing and the desire to know the unknowable. It is easily the softest and perhaps the most uncharacteristic tune penned by the band, but that only serves to isolate its beauty.

The bulk of the album is a bit uneven and self-indulgent, but it is a worthwhile excursion for fans of the band’s later work, those interested in lo-fi, psychedelic tunes, or completists who need to own everything by a particular band. It certainly is a grower and listeners will be rewarded with multiple spins as any obstacles posed by the lo-fi production will begin to melt away. 

Words: Steve Miller

(Originally published at Doommantia)

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