ICE WAR is a one man project that was started by Jo Capitalicide from Ottawa, Canada in 2015. With a very strict rule of "no modern metal", ICE WAR glorifies the metal styles of the 70's and 80's, but without any of the thrash. It would be safe to say that Capitalicide's influences are mostly derived from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal Movement making this album feel archaic, yet somewhat fresh at the same time.

The Album starts off with "Battle Zone" introducing us to the old school sound and style that encompasses the entire album. The guitars are muffled, the vocals are echoed and the drums sound slightly muted. This does give off that perfect retro sound as if this album was recorded in the 70's, but I can't help but feel this is a gimmick. With all of the progress that has been made in recording technology it feels like this sound is a little forced. This can be a burden on some songs while playing out really while on others. "Dream Spirit" stands out with its upbeat drumming that synchronizes well with the bass, while the guitars occasionally lay out powerful high string bends.

"Slavers Whip" fades in with open palm mutes that of the early 80's with lead guitar ringing out making good use of the whammy bar. The song that really stands out though, is the final track "Falling Out." Mid-paced tremolos jog through the verses to the melodic chorus' separated by drum fill transitions in between. It seems Jo got that perfect sound on this song as it really sounds like a MOTORHEAD track, but with cleaner vocals. Overall, Ice War is a decent album, especially if you are a fan of the older styles of metal. It does seem that technique is somewhat sacrificed to make for that specific sound, with certain riffs sometimes feeling too slow or sloppy. That being said, the lack of complexity works really well at times giving off a genuinely good sound. Fans of IRON MAIDEN or MOTORHEAD should be pleased.