Trapped Under Ice, Secrets of the World
I probably don’t know as much about this Baltimore hardcore outfit as I should, but after listening to Trapped Under Ice‘s latest full-length, I’m going to be sure to keep them on my radar in the future. Secrets of the World consists of 12 solid tracks of thundering, bruising and grimy aggression in just over 22 minutes. Pulling in elements from urban giants Crown of Thorns, Madball and others, Trapped Under Ice mix in self-reflective, personal lyrics and a delivery that is ferocious, rapid fire and lasting.
One of the great aspects of this album is that, while short in duration, each track is unique, leaving the listener shell shocked and itching for more. Thick guitars lay down wrong-side-of-the-tracks riffs along with billy club rhythms as the vocals are delivered with an honest and aggressive raspy assault. Get ready for a few elbows in the pit.
See God
“See God” opens up Secrets of the World with just under a minute and a half of groove oriented hardcore reminiscent of Terror. The initial riffing is massive and settle into a nice groove as the vocals come in. For a hardcore band there’s some tremendous depth in the mix with layered guitars, vocal patterns and creative drum work.
Believe
If the opening series of riffs doesn’t get you in a fit pumping groove, I’m not sure anything will. The vocal delivery and overall groove give the first half of this song a feel similar early Raised Fist. A vocal shift provided by T.A.D. of the band Stout and darker series of riffs serve as a dramatic change in the band’s attitude and presentation.
American Dreams
“American Dreams” starts off with a raucous series of riffs and aggressive drum work over the first 20 seconds before the raw vocals come in. Head banging, marching riffs at :45 will have you prepared nicely for the explosion of activity at the one minute mark.
TUI
An overall darker tone envelops “TUI” as the band gets off to an aggressive start with massive riffs and driving drums. Guest vocals on this one are provided by Ryan Banahan — giving a nice change up that’s not overly drastic. The 1:30 mark sees some pummeling riffs to end out the song.
Gemini
Distant guitars get this next one going as the band builds up to a thundering bit of drum work and thick riffs. This is one heavy ass song. The vocal delivery is nicely varied from standard shout to aggressive rapid fire vehemence. The gang vocals on this one really make it that much more powerful and in your face.
Too True
“Too True” starts off with rolling drum work and a bit of thick bass for the opening 20 seconds before driving, catchy riffs and the vocals come in with a fury. There are nice series of tempo shifts throughout this short track that’ll keep you on your toes and ready for the next gang shout. And then, wait… is that a lead!? The guitar work just after the start of the second minute is a welcome surprise and shows that these guys are quite capable of more than your standard hardcore mosh.
The Vortex/Eye Hand
“The Vortex” starts off this two track combo with thick bass, lots of reverb and steady drum work before the group gets into a punishing groove. The instrumental only lasts about 50 seconds or so. Trapped Under Ice waste no time on “Eye Hand” immediately opening up the song with raw vocals and chugging riffs. The guitars just before the one minute mark and thick and chunky. The song ends at the 1:30 mark just as quickly as it started.
From Birth
There’s some memorable guitar work to open up this next one as a thick bass line warbles in the background. It also has some seriously dark tones and overall feel. The long reverb, thick bass and solo vocals around the 1:30 mark are a nice touch before massive riffs join back in.
Titus
Reverb and slow, thick bass open up “Titus” as some beefy riffs and heavy drums come into play. There are some nice tempo changes in this one that highlight the thick bass lines and layered vocals.
Against The Wall
“Against The Wall” steps up the pace a bit more and isn’t quite as dark as the previous couple of songs. There’s a slick lead at :45 that’s short lived, but adds some nice life to the song as the drums pummel relentlessly until the one minute mark when the pace is slowed a bit to accentuate the vocals.
World I Hate
The final track has a great deal of stuff going on in its short duration — tempo shifts, vocal patterns, warbling guitars and more. This is a great song to end out on as it’s also the most varied on the album. It’s just too bad it’s so short.
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Favorite Tracks:
All of them
Additional Notes:
N/A