Ice Age's 'Waves of Loss and Power' - Album Review

The US prog band Ice Age are a relatively recent discovery of mine. Like many fans of rock, metal, and progressive music, I often enjoy the videos put out by Sea of Tranquillity on their YouTube channel. One of their regular shows, In the Prog Seat, is a great source for all things prog - and a year or so ago the panel did an episode on Magna Carta Records. I was already familiar with Magna Carta Records, as I owned a few CDs which the defunct US-based prog label had put out over the years. Some of Dream Theater frontman James LaBrie's early solo albums came out on Magna Carta - as did the first few albums by the melodic prog metal act Shadow Gallery. Sea of Tranquillity's discussion turned me on to a number of other bands which had found a home on Magna Carta, though, and one of them was Ice Age. I had heard of the Swedish thrash band of the same name, but the prog band were new to me - and I found a double CD set which included their first (and, at the time, only) two albums. Sea of Tranquillity had described Ice Age's sound as like classic Styx but heavier. In my recent review of Haken's latest album Fauna (which can be read here) I said that the British band straddled the line between prog rock and prog metal. Ice Age are similar. They do have their metallic moments, but for me the band sit at the heavier end of prog rock - and focus on the bombastic and melodic side of the genre. The Styx comparison is apt, and it is clear that this is where Ice Age's love of pomp comes from. It also helps that Josh Pincus, the band's lead singer and keyboard player, has a voice which sounds quite similar to that of Dennis DeYoung. Pincus' voice ensures that the Styx comparisons stick, but Ice Age are much more prog than Styx. Styx certainly have their proggy moments, but Ice Age are an out-and-out prog band. Both 1999's The Great Divide and 2001's Liberation included plenty of lengthy songs - including some multi-part concept pieces spread across both albums. It appears that the band also released a self-titled EP in 2004, although I have also seen it called Little Bird, which seems to include shorter songs - but I cannot find much information at all about it. Discogs do not even have it listed, which would suggest that it is extremely rare. I have not heard it, but I have heard both The Great Divide and Liberation - which means that I was ready for the band's third album when it dropped last month. Ice Age split in 2004, but reformed again in 2015. Since then, the fans have been hoping for a new album - and it finally dropped last month, titled Waves of Loss and Power. Given the 22 year gap between it and Liberation, listening to Waves of Loss and Power it is as if no time at all as passed. Ice Age have stuck to their core sound here, and this will no doubt please those who have been waiting a long time for this album. Three of those who wrote and performed on the previous two albums return here, with Pincus once again joined by guitarist Jimmy Pappas and drummer Hal Aponte. Doug Odell, who joined the band in 2001 after Liberation was recorded, plays bass here in place of Arron DiCesare.

More than ever, Waves of Loss and Power focuses on the band's prog side. Five of the eight songs here are 'long' - so it is an album that needs a few listens to fully digest. There is a lot going on here, but the melodic nature of the songwriting ensures that there enough hooks to keep interest levels high. The album opens with The Needle's Eye, a hard rocking piece that really summarises Ice Age's heavier side. As previously mentioned, it really sounds like no time has passed between Liberation and now - and The Needle's Eye is as proggy and pomp-tastic as ever. It opens with a barrelling Pappas riff, which drives the song from the off, before Pincus starts to add his theatrical vocals to the piece. Pincus' keyboards are not as bombastic here as they can be, but his synths add a grandness to the song's early sections - whilst some thick bass tones create a heaviness that would otherwise be absent. There are certainly nods to Dream Theater in Pappas' riffs, but the song generally feels more hard rock than metal. There is a heaviness throughout, but Pincus' vocal style has such a flamboyant 1970s vibe to it that it is hard to consider the song an out-and-out metal piece. There is more of a classic rock strut, too, although there are moments that up the technicality. The first instrumental sections sees the keyboards take on a more prominent role, with Pincus and Pappas teaming up for some unison leads, whilst a later instrumental section includes a short, but ferocious, Hammond organ solo to further entrench the band's 1970s influences. A strong vocal hook or a shredded guitar lead is never too far away, and the track is a real tour-de-force of heaviness. There is no respite, and The Needle's Eye is the perfect re-introduction to the band after 22 years. Riverflow follows, and it is the first of three songs here which are longer than 10 minutes. If The Needle's Eye had more of a classic rock strut, then Riverflow is much more of a prog piece. The opening section alone showcases this. The song is much less tough-sounding than what came before, and the opening section has a strong keyboard presence - as well as lots of dancing guitar melodies from Pappas. As such, the piece feels much more dynamic - and those Styx comparisons shine once Pincus starts singing. Due to the stronger keyboard presence during the song, there is a theatrical feel throughout - and Pincus' bombastic delivery sits perfectly against the busy guitar and keyboard backing. It may not be a heavy song throughout, but there is still plenty of energy. There are moments of calm, with delicate guitar leads adding colour, but much of the track still rocks. Upbeat, driving piano or all-enveloping organ - keyboards often define the moods throughout Riverflow. If the guitars drove the opening song, then this is very much a keyboard-heavy piece - but Pappas still makes his presence felt with some occasional tough rhythms and plenty of soaring licks and leads. Throughout this album there is a lot of strong interplay between Pappas and Pincus - but it really shines here, despite the standout instrumental section being Pappas' lengthy guitar solo. Bombastic and proggy, Riverflow showcases a side of the band which The Needle's Eye did not - and both tunes help to set up what is to come.

At over 14 minutes, the next track Perpetual Child - Part II: Forever takes elements from both of the previous songs to create the first of two real epics here. Perpetual Child opened The Great Divide, meaning that this songs acts as its sequel. There are a few musical and lyrical reprisals throughout this belated second part - but, more importantly, the song is great representation of Ice Age's core sound. The opening guitar riffs are on the heavier side, but this is a track that moves back and forth between heavier sections and parts which are more reflective and atmospheric. Pincus' keyboards play a big role throughout, gothic strings and dark shimmers backing even the quietest of moments, whilst Pappas showcases his diversity - mixing tough riffing, jangly clean rhythms, and bluesy breaks constantly throughout. Whilst Pincus and Pappas will generally get most of the plaudits here, the rhythm section, too, deserve a lot of credit. The mix often places a lot of emphasis on Odell's bass playing, and for much of this song he is laying down the main groove - whilst the guitars and keyboards create the atmosphere. All too often in prog metal the bass is buried, but that is not the case at all here - and the mix throughout this album is excellent, allowing everything to breathe in a very 1970s-esque way. Aponte's drumming adds a lot, too. He may not be the busiest or most extreme of players, but his grooves always add a lot to the song - and he can land an explosive fill when required. There is a lot of tasteful tom work throughout this track, whilst an off-kilter beat that backs one of Pincus' flashy synth solos is a rhythmic highlight. Given the song's length, there is a lot of soloing throughout - and some of Pappas' contributions are fast and shredded. Dramatic vocal hooks are what really keep the interest levels high, though, and there are a number of memorable sections throughout - including a theatrical chorus that resurfaces often. The song's closing section revisits the original song's chorus, too, rounding out the lengthy piece in familiar fashion. Together Now is shorter, but still fairly lengthy at around eight minutes. There is a strong retro sound throughout, and again the Styx comparisons seem doubly apt here. Whilst Pincus' voice is always a focal point of the band's sound, Together Now feels much more vocally-centred. There is less focus on lengthy instrumental sections this time, at least early on, with much of the interest coming from the vocal hooks. That being said, there is still a lot of musical drama. Pincus' keyboards once again take on a prominent role, whilst heavier moments occasionally inject some pace into the song - and allow Aponte to lay into his double bass drums briefly, which is not something that he does too often. Despite the opening moments of the song being very vocal-heavy, along with the closing sections, there is a bit more of a focus on instrumentals during the mid-section. Classically-influenced piano breaks provide a different overall dimension, whilst another lengthy guitar solo from Pappas is packed full of melody.

A couple of shorter songs then follow, with All My Years going for a funkier overall feel. Spiky guitar riffing and some busy bass playing keep the song moving throughout. There is little of the diversity of the songs which have preceded it, but a shorter, more to-the-point piece is welcome following all of the previous bombast. That being said, though, there is still quite a lot going on. Parts of the verses are very rhythmic, with some busy drumming from Aponte, whilst the chorus goes for a more anthemic approach - with big backing vocal harmonies creating a different sound to what has come before. There are some simple, yet tasty, guitar leads throughout, too, showing that despite the shorter arrangement the band are still able to weave elements of their trademark sound into a song. Float Away is similarly shorter, but it feels more proggy than All My Years. If All My Years felt like an attempt to write a concise and hooky hard rocker, then Float Away feels more typical of the rest of the album - just not as expansive. Odell's bass drives everything, his playing very typical of that detailed previously, whilst the arrangement is knottier overall. Pappas' guitar playing is busier, with a number of leads and interesting licks throughout, and there is more bombast thanks to a strong keyboard presence and a powerful chorus which sticks in the brain after only a couple of listens. Of the two shorter songs, for me Float Away is the better of the two. All My Years has its moments, but Float Away is classic Ice Age - and another excellent guitar solo pulls everything together. The lengthiest is left until last, though, and the album ends with the fourth and fifth part of the To Say Goodbye suite - which previously featured on both The Great Divide and Liberation. The fourth part, Remembrance is essentially a piano intro piece, revisiting some of those classically-influenced melodies from earlier, whilst part five, Water Child, is the main event. It is the longest song here, around 10 seconds longer than Perpetual Child - Part II: Forever, and it is arguably the album's crowning achievement. It builds slowly from Remembrance, keeping the piano melodies going for a short while, but a punchy groove soon takes over - with Pincus adding to the drama with an excellent vocal performance. Whilst there are busy instrumental sections to come, the early moments are very vocal focused. I love the interplay between the deep piano melodies and Pappas' laid back guitar rhythms, and this swinging groove proves to be the basis of the song throughout. It is added to, with soaring synths and some busy drum interludes, but the groove generally remains - allowing a strong consistency to be retained. A powerful chorus provides possibly the album's strongest vocal hooks, too, and it is hard not to think of DeYoung as Pincus belts out the theatrical melodies with ease - especially given how prominent the piano playing is throughout. The piece in general feels like a real showcase for Pincus, with his piano and synth work essentially dominating throughout - with occasional guitar-led breaks to add crunch. The prominence of the piano adds to the song's overall bombast, and I think this is partly what makes the song one of my favourites here - as even as it fades out the energy levels are retained. Despite the album's hooky nature, there is a lot to take in here. I imagine I will discover more in due course, but I have loved my time with Waves of Loss and Power over the past month. It is great to see Ice Age back after so long, and I glad I got into the band when I did - as this bombastic album has been a great addition to 2023.

The album was released on 10th March 2023 via Sensory Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Needle's Eye.