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Friday, July 18, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
REVIEW: Soulcraft08
Nowadays it doesn’t take too much for a band to be described as “hard”: just throw a mosh part here and there, go to the gym, listen to Alpha Omega 24/7, wear an OG Cro-Mags shirt on stage and create your hype. Anyway, there’s a huge difference between this and being really hard. Well, not a lot of bands around these days deserve this description, but Trapped Under Ice are undoubtedly one of them! I must admit it did take me some time to get into this band, but once you realize what this band is all about you’ll just love them. This Baltimore band gained a lot of popularity during the last months, and that’s what they deserve, for the amazing blend of NYHC that falls somewhere between Breakdown and Crown of Thornz is just brutality at its best. The 6 songs featured on “Stay Cold”, topped with one of the best artwork seen to date, will be the soundtrack to some pretty bad violence at their live shows. Once again Kitzel’s Reaper Records comes out with an amazing release!Link
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
EXCERPT: Mind Over Matter blog
Mind Over Matter is a blog done by the singer of Belgian hardcore band, Rise And Fall. He had some nice things and very appreciated things to day in a recent blog entry about TUI. Check it out. Thanks, Bjorn.
One of the most exciting bands in hardcore these days is definitely Trapped Under Ice. That band is so ill. They are currently wrapping up their European tour and I would definitely advise you to go see them if you can. After that they have a full U.S. tour coming up with Terror. Talk about an awesome package. Their most recent EP on Reaper Records called "Stay Cold" is filled with well crafted, hard and sincere hardcore with a lot of groove. Crown Of Thornz and Breakdown are definitely references, yet it doesn't quite stop there. There's more to their sound and whatever it is, it's got a lot of people hooked. I love how a lot of older heads are super stoked on this band. I feel like this is one of those bands that could bring a lot of different types of hardcore kids to shows, in the same way that a band like American Nightmare did a few years ago. Either way, both lyrically and musically this band soars high, I hope to see more of them in the future.Link
REVIEW: Aversion Online
The latest from the always awesome Reaper Records is the "Stay Cold" EP from Baltimore, MD's Trapped Under Ice, by far one of the best new metallic hardcore bands out there these days. And I've been eagerly awaiting the CD release of this EP 'cause it also contains their 2007 demo as bonus tracks (as well as a handful of live tracks and a dub version of "Evelyn" by Black Ark, but it's basically the studio material that I'm all about). Utilizing straightforward hardcore power chord rhythms and chunky NYHC styled breakdowns with tiny little doses of added metallic flare, quick lead breaks, and occasional flirtations with sparse melody (think Betrayed) doesn't exactly appear innovative on paper, and I'm not really saying these guys are rewriting the book or anything, but they're not so typical either. I'm not entirely sure what it is about 'em, but it's more of a big picture thing: The vocal approach and the lyrics, the way they keep the metal influence way under control, the sense of groove and its balance with the melodic undercurrents, and also the fact that all of the songs are so short - leaving no room for senseless repetition or noodling around. So, yeah, I don't need to analyze this shit. It's great material and there's a reason this band's getting a decent amount of "hype" or whatever, so… if you've never heard 'em before, absolutely check 'em out. I can't wait to hear more from these cats…Trapped Under Ice "Skeleton Heads"
Return to the point of no return. You can't clean the slate, you can't wash away the dirt. Now my patience is fleeting, I can't escape the feeling. Brain waves, like a vortex in your mind. Absolutely, your time is coming. It's coming. It's coming. I'm going to be there to see the death of your desires, as your life expires to the guillotine.
It's also available on vinyl if you're old school like that (or via iTunes if you're on the other end of the spectrum), but I fully recommend the CD itself for the bonus material, obviously, so… make the grab one way or another if you like what you hear.
LinkThursday, June 26, 2008
REVIEW: Artripoli.com
So stoked. This album completely blew my mind. I have been listening to it non-stop since last night. 6 tracks of non-stop energy, I can’t stop dancing and singing along with it while cruising around in my truck. People give me strange looks sitting at red lights as I’m enjoying the recent warm weather with my windows down singing along, “SO ALONE! SO ALONE! STAY COLD! YOU CAN’T HURT ME ANYMORE! STAY COLD! YOU WON’T HURT ME ANYMORE!” Go buy this right now. You can pick it up from www.reaperhardcore.com. Don’t have a record player? Well it comes with a free digital download as well. The layout of the 7″ is sick also, so not only are you getting some great tunes, but you’re also getting some dope art. The photo’s in it are from a photographer whose work I like to follow, her name is Katie Dance. Check her stuff out too.
This album rules, the end, and Trapped Under Ice rules. I can’t wait for them to come back to Columbia and hang out again.
STAY COLD!
LinkSunday, June 22, 2008
INTERVIEW: I'm Not Sure blog
I'm Not Sure: Could you state your name and position in the band?
Justice: my name is justice and i sing in trapped under ice.
INS: Trapped Under Ice have unique lyrics for a hardcore band, What do they mean to you on a personal level?
J: our lyrics represent nothing more than the honest feelings of a young person. being young can mean a lot of things, sometimes im angry, sometimes afraid, sometimes insecure, etc. i try to be as real as i possibly can, without exception. i would think that is why a lot of people can relate to our lyrics.
INS: Last night while I was washing dishes at work, I was listening to the "Stay Cold" ep. My manager, who is a total stoner, said that it reminded him of Metallica back in the day and was totally digging it. Where does that crossover influence come from?
J: literally everyone in our band is a huge metallica fan. while we've never aimed to sound anything like metallica, it's inevitable that we would possess those qualities. but realistically, who doesn't love metallica?
INS: My manager then asked me who I was listening to, and I said "Trapped Under Ice". He then went on into how that is the name of a Metallica song. Is that where you guys got the name?
J: your manager sounds awesome. trapped under ice is a metallica song, though we didn't consciously take from it. i think it's just one of those things where some of us are so familiar with the band, someone mentioned that as a name idea and we were into. i week later everyone was asking "you guys sound like metallica?"
INS: How is it that you think you guys blew up so big off of the demo?
J: ill let you know when we blow up haha. i think we did a lot of things with the demo that a lot of bands aren't doing right now. it's influenced by bands that maybe a lot of people aren't influenced by right now. like i said, the lyrics are honest, and i think people can spot that kind of thing. we had fun with making the music as well as the artwork. when we designed the art work a lot of people were like "are you serious!?" or "that's stupid". but like my friend patrick from reaper records has told me plenty of times, nobody decides what's acceptable or cool in hardcore, but it's what you make of it. we wanted to make a sound and a record design that was something we wanted. something that reminded me of the time when i was first introduced to hardcore. the demo is a lot of things that i loved when i was 14 and still now.
INS: Here's a broad question... What are you stoked on right now?
J: im stoked on so many things right now. just a few months ago i quit my job to make the band a more full time thing. i love tour, and we've been doing a lot of it, and have plenty of tour ahead of us. im stoked on reaper records. it's great to have someone who has as much faith in us as reaper does. it's good to have someone believe in you and do anything to support you. so many great bands together at this moment. im stoked on the baltimore hardcore scene. it's got a great history and a great future. lots of new bands that you will be seeing for the next few years. stoked to go to europe and be doing a split with london's dirty money. them and dead and gone records have worked really hard to get us to europe. they're also coming to the US to visit in january. it's going to be an awesome tour. mostly, im stoked to see so many young people so active in the hardcore community; bookings shows, doing zines, attending shows.
INS: What's the best part about being in Trapped Under Ice?
J: i spend my time traveling with my best friends. making new friends always. legitimate good friends all over this country and now in new countries. i love getting to be my complete true self and being accepted for it.
INS: Let's do some word associations. Type the first thing that comes to mind:
J:
Stay Cold: thanks to reaper records
Metallica: klipa's "scary guy" tattoo
Thrash: studded leather jackets
Shred: dom from pulling teeth
Burrito: neato burrito in lemoyne pa
Ice: queen
INS: Current Playlist?
J:
stout
next step up
vision of disorder
new trash talk
new colin of arabia
new cold world
curtains demo
brick demo
INS: Thanks for your time. Anything else to add, any shout outs?
J: fools in reign supreme, mongoloids, and dead and buried. steve j rottman. thanks!
Link
Justice: my name is justice and i sing in trapped under ice.
INS: Trapped Under Ice have unique lyrics for a hardcore band, What do they mean to you on a personal level?
J: our lyrics represent nothing more than the honest feelings of a young person. being young can mean a lot of things, sometimes im angry, sometimes afraid, sometimes insecure, etc. i try to be as real as i possibly can, without exception. i would think that is why a lot of people can relate to our lyrics.
INS: Last night while I was washing dishes at work, I was listening to the "Stay Cold" ep. My manager, who is a total stoner, said that it reminded him of Metallica back in the day and was totally digging it. Where does that crossover influence come from?J: literally everyone in our band is a huge metallica fan. while we've never aimed to sound anything like metallica, it's inevitable that we would possess those qualities. but realistically, who doesn't love metallica?
INS: My manager then asked me who I was listening to, and I said "Trapped Under Ice". He then went on into how that is the name of a Metallica song. Is that where you guys got the name?
J: your manager sounds awesome. trapped under ice is a metallica song, though we didn't consciously take from it. i think it's just one of those things where some of us are so familiar with the band, someone mentioned that as a name idea and we were into. i week later everyone was asking "you guys sound like metallica?"
INS: How is it that you think you guys blew up so big off of the demo?
J: ill let you know when we blow up haha. i think we did a lot of things with the demo that a lot of bands aren't doing right now. it's influenced by bands that maybe a lot of people aren't influenced by right now. like i said, the lyrics are honest, and i think people can spot that kind of thing. we had fun with making the music as well as the artwork. when we designed the art work a lot of people were like "are you serious!?" or "that's stupid". but like my friend patrick from reaper records has told me plenty of times, nobody decides what's acceptable or cool in hardcore, but it's what you make of it. we wanted to make a sound and a record design that was something we wanted. something that reminded me of the time when i was first introduced to hardcore. the demo is a lot of things that i loved when i was 14 and still now.
INS: Here's a broad question... What are you stoked on right now?
J: im stoked on so many things right now. just a few months ago i quit my job to make the band a more full time thing. i love tour, and we've been doing a lot of it, and have plenty of tour ahead of us. im stoked on reaper records. it's great to have someone who has as much faith in us as reaper does. it's good to have someone believe in you and do anything to support you. so many great bands together at this moment. im stoked on the baltimore hardcore scene. it's got a great history and a great future. lots of new bands that you will be seeing for the next few years. stoked to go to europe and be doing a split with london's dirty money. them and dead and gone records have worked really hard to get us to europe. they're also coming to the US to visit in january. it's going to be an awesome tour. mostly, im stoked to see so many young people so active in the hardcore community; bookings shows, doing zines, attending shows.
INS: What's the best part about being in Trapped Under Ice?
J: i spend my time traveling with my best friends. making new friends always. legitimate good friends all over this country and now in new countries. i love getting to be my complete true self and being accepted for it.
INS: Let's do some word associations. Type the first thing that comes to mind:
J:
Stay Cold: thanks to reaper records
Metallica: klipa's "scary guy" tattoo
Thrash: studded leather jackets
Shred: dom from pulling teeth
Burrito: neato burrito in lemoyne pa
Ice: queen
INS: Current Playlist?
J:
stout
next step up
vision of disorder
new trash talk
new colin of arabia
new cold world
curtains demo
brick demo
INS: Thanks for your time. Anything else to add, any shout outs?
J: fools in reign supreme, mongoloids, and dead and buried. steve j rottman. thanks!
Link
REVIEW: CaliAlive.com
Straight out of the port city of Baltimore, Maryland comes the vicious monster known as Trapped Under Ice. Obvious influences from New York powerhouses Breakdown and Crown of Thorns, the city of Baltimore quickly inherits one of the most brutal outfits to come out of the b-more area in recent memory. In 2007, Trapped Under Ice released a five song demo , which was later released as an EP on a label named Flatspot Records. This EP soon caught the attention of many in the hardcore community. Soon there after, Reaper Records heard the tracks and immediately began working out a deal to record the new onslaught that is known as the "Stay Cold" EP.Trapped Under Ice have gained a huge amount of recognition in the past year or so due to the band enlightening their NYHC fan base to a more sweet and finesse sound that they posses. Musically very heavy, and in place are tighter, more unique jams than their previous five song demo effort that was released in 2007. Relentless music with potent guitar work shine throughout this record from beginning to end. The vocals are well-paced and the vocalist has a distinct voice which complements his array of delivery.
Arguably, "Stay Cold" has sent shock waves through the country since it's release on May 6th. One of those records that clocks in under ten minutes, leaving you wanting more of the ultimate riffage that Trapped Under Ice display. This is the way hardcore is meant to be played. Pissed off, brutal and devastating all in one blow. The band also displays a love for the road, already completing a successful tour with friends in Trash Talk. Stand out tracks on this 7" are as followed: Skeleton Heads, Street Lights and Between the Sheets. The only issue noticeable in this EP is the choice to end with the closer of "Between the Sheets." "Skeleton Heads," with it's hard hitting "Nishinga Motherfucker" break would of been the icing on the cake and made for a better closer to the record. Other than that, this album is relentless from start to finish and should content for best EP of the year. If your a fan of straight up old school hardcore, this is a sweet piece of wax to add to the collection.
For Fans Of: Breakdown, Crown of Thorns, Integrity.
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