Adelaide heavy hitters Ice On Mercury have been riding high on a string of successes which has led to the culmination of what could be considered their strongest work yet in the EP “Blind Leading The Lifeless”. Rave reviews continue to push the band in the right direction both professionally and musically and it’s easy to see why when you hear these tracks.
On past releases Ice On Mercury focused more on the heavy rock side of things but with their latest EP “Blind Leading The Lifeless” the band have moved into heavier territory incorporating crunchier riffs, heavy breakdowns and some seriously great dynamics between melodic and heavy that borrows elements from such acts as Machine Head and Alice In Chains. “Little People” is a fairly good representation of a lot of that, vocalist Almir switching between Rob Flynn sounding vocal lines to some strong melodic parts. Musically it even has that 90’s metal sort of vibe but it’s a great track and one of the standouts for sure.
“Numbers” is another heavier song but with maybe more dynamics than it’s previous counterpart which is a good thing. Rather than just going for a balls to the wall in your face vibe, the band keep some range within each and song and between each track to keep it interesting and varied. The melodic parts are anthemic in nature, “General Justification” is a good example of blending that together seamlessly while keeping a really cool and loose vibe to it’s atmospheric sound. The title track is probably the most melodic number here and while it opens the EP up nicely for things to come, I feel it could have worked later on in the EP just as well.
“Wash It Away” jumps into a little hardcore territory, a galloping intro kicks things off before switching into some heavy beats which makes it a potential to be a live favorite. The final track “Pantomine” grooves brilliantly and again just blends that whole melodic and heavy parts just seamlessly where it balances in all the right ways. “Blind Leading The Lifeless” is easily the best effort to date by the Adelaide rockers and could pave the way for an explosive full length album that will be sure to capture the attention of many fans.
TRACKLIST
Blind Leading The Lifeless
Little People
Numbers
General Justification
Wash It Away
Pantomine
