Rock Ice

In early 2018, the guys hit the studio with producer Drew Fulk (Motionless In White, Pop Evil) in Los Angeles to record The Silver Scream. Following the sessions, Ice Nine Kills initially teased the release with The Shining-inspired 'Enjoy Your Slay' featuring a cameo from none other than Sam Kubrick frontman for The Shields and grandson of Stanley Kubrick. The title The Silver Scream fits like a bloody mask. 'It sounded like an eighties slasher flick to me,' exclaims Spencer. 'It s got that tongue-in-cheek double entendre. I really love that.' In the end, Ice Nine Kills carve up a big screen-worthy escapism of the highest order and reach a new level in the proces

This quintet (derived mostly from Tamworth band Willow) led by ex-Alexis Korner Blues Incorporated singer, Mick Rutherford, was formed in March 1978 and issued their debut concept album a year later, before splitting in 1982. Featuring the Staffordshire Youth Orchestra, with string arrangements by Rutherford, its riven with changes of both mood and tempo, as well as boasting some blaring horns and sweet electric and acoustic guitar from Andy Radek, as highlighted on airy tunes like The Bridge. This LP has been described as the rarest album of 1979.

Ice is an instrumental tribute to the music of Björk. It features ten tracks culled from the Icelandic performer's post-Sugarcubes output, focusing specifically on material from Debut, Post, and Homogenic. What's remarkable – or perhaps unremarkable – is the ease with which many of these songs are translated to violin, viola, cello, and bass. Björk is one of the few artists working successfully within the increasingly narrow parameters of popular music while accessing multiple genres and influences. This means that her music is as likely to feature drum programming as it is a full section of reeds. That said, Homogenic's "Joga" appears here, stripped of the stippling drum'n'bass that skittered across the surface of the strings in the original. Instead, unadorned violin and viola employ the full emotional range of the melody. A bass stalks the bottom end of "Army of Me" as eerie reverb and chorus effects make the violins sound like carrion birds calling to one another from the parapets. And Debut's "Big Time Sensuality and "Human Behavior" end up resembling the more urgent material from Björk's later solo efforts. An example of this is "Bachelorette." The original crossed its hissing, crackling electronics with a plaintive string section. The Ice version removes the beats and the vocal, but retains the strings. Like "Joga," "Bachelorette"'s sad, sweeping melody is rendered beautifully by the symphonic arrangement. While Ice was not endorsed by the artist herself, the album is such a success that it could stand next to Björk's own Telegram remix LP as a document of her songs' limitless potential for sonic exploration. ~ Johnny Loftus. Allmusic.com

In 1967 and 1968, Ice were a much-touted but slightly mysterious recording band, constantly on the radio (including the famous John Peel Show with Jimi Hendrix and Traffic) but seldom seen on television and never live. 'Walk On The Water' was the controversial track (disguised as 'Walk Under Water' for radio purposes) that was intended to be their second single and was eventually sidelined in favour of 'Ice Man'. Record Collector lists their two singles 'Anniversary (Of Love)' from 1967 and 'Ice Man' from 1968 in their Rare Record Guide and apart from the singles and their 'B' sides all of the tracks featured on this CD have never before been released. Lynton Naiff, Grant Serpell, Mo Foster and Linda Hoyle all later joined up as Affinity but that as they say is another story. This CD represents the group's entire recorded output of the cult 60’s rock group Ice.

Sandwiched between 1984's Top 20 hit Breaking Hearts and 1986's commercial disaster Leather Jackets, 1985's Ice on Fire is a forgotten Elton John effort. While it is hardly a masterpiece – it isn't even up to the standard of such '80s efforts as Too Low for Zero – it's still an enjoyable record, living proof of the power of professionalism…