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This is the debut album from Eddy Antonini, Skylark's keyboardist. Now I am not an expert of that band, so I am completely new to his music. But by the sound of this album I'll say that this is just total keyboard worship in the vein of Rhapsody - this sounds like Alex Strapoli and Luca Turilli were involved.

All the elements that made Rhapsody famous are on this record: too much keyboards, happy sound, some double bass abuse, good voice, huge choruses, too much narration and an orchestral feel trying to make the songs epic. That's all good if it is done correctly, however there so much excess that you keep wondering where the song is going. But there are some good spots here: the musicians are excellent - they are masters at their respective instruments and the singer has a very good voice. There are some enjoyable songs like: "Sun (Keeper of the Dreams)", "Fear of the Moon" and "Shooting Star/I Want Out" (maybe because the latter part is a Helloween cover...) Overall the songs are OK, but nothing special to hang your hat on.

Apart from those good points, the album itself is over an hour long. It has three piano instrumentals and I am not counting "The Crypt of Montmatre" which is a 14-minute song in which the first four are nothing more than a long-ass piano narration. Lyrically this is what a typical Power Metal album from that region of the world sings about: fantasy land.

Although you can see the effort put by Antonini, When Water Became Ice is no more than second-rate Power Metal, as there is nothing here you haven't heard before. In the end I cannot recommend this to anyone who isn't a keyboard fan or a diehard Rhapsody fan. If that is your thing then go ahead get this album. But for the rest of us, there are just a lot of better bands that do this style.