It is remarkable how quickly Texas’ Frozen Soul have made their chilling presence known in the extreme metal arena. The self-proclaimed “cold-school” death metal five-piece are delivering a formidable follow-up to their debut, Crypt of Ice (2021), with an 11-track avalanche of brutality, Glacial Domination. With an impressive amount of touring under their belts and experience recording with co-producer Matt Heafy (Trivium) on the new release, these upstarts are proving to be the real deal.
The sophomore sub-zero storm commences with “Invisible Tormentor”, representing the band’s repertoire of stomping grooves, a catchy chorus, and shivery tremolo riffs. Vocalist Chad Green sets a ferocious tone via his angry, throaty bellows a la Steve Tucker (Morbid Angel). His anguish is poignantly felt on the proceeding tracks “Arsenal of War” and “Death and Glory”, as these are inspired by the tragic loss of his younger brother. The ending section to the latter song is a slam fest highlighted by a chugging beatdown featuring crisp pinch harmonics.
“Morbid Effigy” pounds next with caveman beatdowns as guest vocalist John Gallagher (Dying Fetus) grumbles away during its tail end. Another John whom the quintet gets a creative contribution from is John Carpenter, indirectly; his iconic movie The Thing inspired the storytelling characteristic of “Frozen Soul” and likely also the retro synthwave intros throughout the full-length. The one-minute instrumental leading into “Frozen Soul”, titled “Annihilation”, certainly generates visuals of a frosty Kurt Russell.
When it comes to revenge, Frozen Soul believes it is “Best Served Cold” (duh). This banger sees Green fiercely accentuate guitar spasms during its chorus. Towards its conclusion you’ll find one of the heaviest breakdowns on the album, pulverizing like an icepick. Speaking of destruction, “Atomic Winter” closes out the bomb cyclone with catastrophic grooves that drop in tempo to earth-shattering proportions. Samples of chaos–guns, tanks, bombs, and screams–appropriately introduce the finale which is a nod to giant monsters terrorizing cities.
After spinning Glacial Domination, there are many memorable sections and hooks to reflect on. It’s a wise strategy on Frozen Soul’s part to bring solid structure to these robust riffs and beats. Reciting the song titles in the lyrics, especially in the chorus, helps cement their distinction as well. The band’s desired wintry theme comes across effectively through the production–particularly the reverberating vocals–and all those stone-cold grooves. Immerse yourself in this deep freeze of a record when it releases on May 19th via Century Media Records.
Buy the album here.
