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After the disappointment that was Eclipse, Malmsteen comes back with Fire and Ice and, sadly, the same formula is used here. The excess on this record is big; as this is the first album that surpasses the hour mark and the first in which he opens with an instrumental. You just feel that the songs are a platform for Malmsteen to prove that he is a great guitarist. Unlike his 80's output, the songs on Fire and Ice have a hard rock style with very little catchiness.

The performances are what we should expect from musicians playing with Malmsteen. There is nothing to complain on this department as the album is filled with guitar leads that only Malmsteen can provide. Fire and Ice is the last release with singer Goran Edman, and he is improved from Eclipse. The problem with him is that he still lacks the necessary power and personality, adding very little to the songs - though there are no performances like in "Motherless Child", he is much more consistent here.

There is some good stuff here like: "C'est la vie" in which Malmsteen uses a sitar, "How Many Miles to Babylon", "Forever is a Long Time" and the leads on the title track. However we have heard this many times and done better to boot. At the end of the day Fire and Ice is not an easy record to digest, making it a chore to listen to all the way through. If Malmsteen could have trimmed it down 20 minutes or so we would have a great record; instead as it stands this is a slightly above average album.