THE ICE COLD KILLERS
Stories from the Grave
7/10
GUITAR-DRIVEN PUNK ROCK: If rollicking guitar-driven rock ‘n’ roll floats your boat, then The Ice Cold Killers and the band’s latest, Stories from the Grave, is an album you need to get in your crosshairs immediately. This record is fast, loud, and uncompromising, or in other words, everything you would want New York punk rock to be.
Digging into Stories from the Grave, it doesn’t take more than a few riffs to realize what The Ice Cold Killers are all about. The opening title track sets the stage eloquently with beefy guitars and unabashed vocals complete with gang vocal hooks, before the band showcases its love of the Ramones on “I’ll Only Dance with Death,” an upbeat blast of punk with more churning riffs than you can shake a stick at. Stories from the Grave is raw and energetic, an album that sounds both like a sonic time capsule and modern detonation of inner-city punk, one unafraid to wear its influences on its sleeve (“Dead to Me,” “The Legend of Tumblin’ Downz,” “Runnin’ Outta Time”). “We Are the Enemy” is a supercharged punk anthem that sounds like a Warped Tour parking lot rallying cry thanks to fast drums and even faster guitars, and “War Horse” takes it to the next level with even speedier tempos and a tasty guitar solo. The Ice Cold Killers save one of their best for last with closer “Killer on the Loose,” a raucous tune that careens a bit into 80s hard rock over the course of its three minutes.
Stories from the Grave is an easy record to get into, and while it does an admirable job of staving off listener fatigue down the stretch, some still manages to creep in. Regardless, this is a fun album. ~ Brian Campbell
