Frozen Soul - Crypt of Ice (2021)

Unleashing a barrage of crushing riffs and a very dense atmosphere, today we have Death Metal newcomers Frozen Soul and their debut release “Crypt of Ice”. Hailing from Texas, this outfit perfectly combines old-school North American DM elements with influences from old-school European Death Metal, creating a very unique amalgamation of sounds that feels like Centinex had a bastard child with Incantation.

Opening with the chugging riffs of “Crypt of Ice”, the band creates a very effective and crushing mood with excellent headbanging passages. Setting that sluggish mid-tempo approach, tracks like “Arctic Stranglehold”, “Hand of Vengeance”, “Wraith of Death” further develop the band’s immersive atmosphere with crafty drumming and hellish vocals. The band’s lyrical themes are also quite refreshing as they don’t just focus on blood and guts like most others.

After listening to this release for nearly 20 minutes, the listener will start experiencing Bolt Thrower flash-backs as the band’s sound has identifiable influences, making tracks like “Beat to Dust” and “Twist the Knife” even more awesome for old timers like us. As a whole, “Crypt of Ice” is one hell of a crushing Death Metal release that while having a timeless sound, leaves some room for Frozen Soul to imprint their own elements. If you like crunchy and headbanging-inducing DM, you can’t go wrong with this album.

Label: Century Media

Release: February 7th, 2020

Genre: Death Metal

Country: USA