Album Review: Glacier Re-issue

Glacier is a heavy/power metal hailing from the rainy, environmentally-conscious city of Portland, Oregon, whose sole official release was an eponymous EP in 1985.

Glacier displayed a massive Iron Maiden influence, with songs that were similar in structure, but often heavier and faster. Mid-tempo opening cut “When Heaven’s at Hand” has lyrics that are unusual for a metal song, urging listeners to turn away from Satan and evil. Being an ‘80s metal song, though, the message is still delivered with such irresistibly cheesy lines as, “I don’t need your politics, and I don’t need no 666.” The rest of the album does tackle corny, standard metal subjects, though.

“Ready For Battle” is the recording’s speediest track, full of thunderous drumming and a bountiful helping of double bass. “Speak No Evil” is one of the best in terms of musicianship, with heavy bass lines and a nice stretch of impressive trade-off leads. The strangest thing about the EP is that it has three different vocalists singing on it. Session singer Keith Flax possesses a whiny, nasally voice that has more place in soul or disco than metal. Thankfully, Flax is only heard on “When Heaven’s at Hand”. Vocalists Rex Mcnew (“Vendetta”) and Mike Podrybau (the last three songs) also carry the higher voices that are typically a prerequisite for this style of metal; but are also more powerful, convincing, and entertaining than Flax.

The guitar sound is watery and the drums are lively. Timm Proctor’s bass gallops throughout much of the recording and is placed perceptibly in the mix. Glacier is an EP I’d recommend because it is satisfyingly fun, melodic, and old-school, but especially because of its galloping cadence. Regarded as a valuable collector’s item amongst most who even know the band, this long-neglected recording has finally been given a well-deserved re-issue.

Cult Metal Classics and Glacier Holdings already released it on CD for the first time on Halloween, but vinyl maniacs should consider the extremely limited pressing of 150 transparent blue vinyl LPs that will follow on December 22nd. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.



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Tags:  Glacier, Re-Issue   

Nicholas Statuto    December 15, 2016