Release date: 31st October 2025

Ice Howl began in 2015 as the vision of Jason Roach, former drummer of Indiana’s stoner doom outfit Thorr-Axe. What started as Tundra Vibrations soon evolved into a full band, releasing the debut album Crack the Earth and performing across the Midwest before retreating into silence.

During the pandemic, Jason revived Ice Howl with new EPs and the album “Cadence of the Cursed.” In 2022, guitarist Sean Davidson joined the fold, and together they conjured “Darkness From Beyond,” opening the gates to a new era. By 2023, the full lineup was forged, leading to a triumphant debut at Legions of Metal 6 and shows alongside Unleash the Archers, Striker, Hirax, and more.

With their reimagined anthology “Reborn and Reforged” behind them, Ice Howl now returns with their latest release “The Ledger of Timeless Watchers Pt. 1” the new EP. The next chapter begins!

Review

The Omphalos of Fate rips open with monstrous drumming and hungry riffage before we are catapulted towards a barrage of beefy double kick and punchy vocal lines that take control. This is a song that has loads going, with thunderous pace and riffs that drive everything forward.It very quickly caught my attention and that is a really positive thing. At moments the production feels a bit “hot” like things were pushed into the red (especially on the vocals) but apart from that the music totally slays here. Fast, furious and ready to set your speakers ablaze.

The Ledger of Timeless Watchers strips back for a dark and menacing intro before it moves into a slow trudge through thick mud like a beast trying to catch its prey. The pacing certainly picks up with pummelling tom work and another big helping of double kick. Everything just feels thick in texture and Zebah’s vocal really cut through the mix with ease. Throughout the song, just like the first track the song continues to deliver an interesting and intricate structure that keeps the listeners attention.

Three of Blades is the lead single and it opens with a simple drum pattern before it explodes with huge walking pace kick drums, bold rhythms and lead licks that spark and sizzle. When everything does kick in I do feel like some of the instruments get a bit blurred in the mix and at moments the guitars feel a bit pushed to much. Again these mix issues do not take away from how gigantic the music feels. The music is absolutely punishing and they certainly know how to write a total banger that is sure to get audiences headbanging or fist bumping along.

Tangled Darkness of the Elder Gods is the final track on this release and straight away I get total epic vibes. Like all three tracks before, this is stacked with tasty riffs and rhythms that carry the song. This is combined with booming bass lines and tornado drumming that work hand in hand providing a rigid and solid back bone. The evil, dark vocal section where everything breaks down to a colossal stomp is totally awesome and its guaranteed that fans will be joining in with the “demon” chants. All in all this is another track delivers on many fronts.

Conclusion

Ice Howl have delivered a focused and powerful EP that will rattle your bones and make you want to put this on repeat. While the production was a bit unpolished at times and could do with some adjustments, the music itself simply will blow you out of the water. If you are not an Ice Howl fan you will be after listening to “The Ledger of Timeless Watchers Pt. 1.”

TheNwothm Score: 9/10

Links

Bandcamp: https://icehowl.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/icehowlmetal

Website: https://icehowl.band/