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Canada's Ice War has been following the NWOBHM model to an exacting degree for a couple of years now, first releasing a couple of "singles" ("Dream Spirit" and "Battle Zone") before unleashing their self-titled debut in 2017. In reviewing those earlier releases, I praised Ice War's loose, D.I.Y. sound focused on twin guitars and echo-soaked vocals which really captured the NWOBHM vibe. I also lamented the seeming lack of singing ability possessed by lone band member Jo Capitalicide as well as the pedestrian nature of the songwriting. I'm not sure what has changed with the release of Ice War but I'm finding it a lot more enjoyable. "Battle Zone" and "Dream Spirit" are a lot better than I remember, while the energy of tracks like "Standing Rock" and "Slavers Whip" with it's "Sanctuary"-like staccato riffing, transcend the band's shortcomings. Sure, there are some clunkers ("I Am the Prisoner", "We Will Stand") that need some fine-tuning but overall the album is close to going back in time and picking up Tokyo Blade's Midnight Rendezvous, Satan's Court in the Act or Witch Cross' Fit for Fight and hearing them for the first time. If the classic NWOBHM sound gets your foot tapping the way it does mine, Ice War is one you'll want to check out.