Hell yes! Richmond hardcore stayin on top again. From the first time I heard their demo tracks on Myspace, I knew this was going to be something worth checking out. Released on Triple B Records, Gods and Devils is five songs long, clocking in at the 12 and a half minute mark. So many bands have been coming out of the Richmond scene to gain nationwide attention, and Fire and Ice settle nicely into this category. Not as heavy as Bracewar, and slower than Down to Nothing, these guys are carving out a nice niche for their brand of hardcore.
The record kicks off with a quick 40 second intro, reminding me of a mid 90s grungy sound, unlike half the other "chug-a-chug" intros on hardcore albums these days. Fire and Ice's vibe is a bit different, almost sounding old school yet off at times, but still intriguing to listen to. At points, there's a great smacking of NYHC influence. Some of the riffs remind me of a cross between War Hungry and RZL DZL, mixing hardcore and rock-n-roll in a fun, entertaining method. Of course, its not all like this though; check out the sick break towards the end of the 3rd song "Vices." It's that "YES" moment that I'm always searching for on a hardcore record.
Joining the ranks of bands such as Backtrack, Naysayer, Forfeit, Bad Seed, and Foundation; Fire and Ice seem like they will blow up quickly because of this EP. The sound is infectious, yet versatile, allowing them to appeal to more than just one type of audience. They also avoid repeating the same song structure and riffs over and over, so I wasn't bored halfway through the record. Hearing this only makes me more excited for their new 7" coming up on Triple B.
One of the only things I couldn't get into was some of the backing vocals that appear almost out of nowhere on the final two songs. It almost sounds like the singer of Death Threat, but more grating on the ears. Either way, this is an EP definitely worth picking up, and the band will be playing United Blood Festival this coming March. Triple B still has two of the three vinyl colors available to buy on their website and the band has their own webstore with some shirt designs leftover from their winter tour.
http://www.myspace.com/fireandiceva
http://www.triple-brecords.com/
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