| Musical Style: Heavy Metal | Produced By: Freezing Terror |
| Record Label: Independent | Country Of Origin: USA & Canada |
| Year Released: 2021 | Artist Website: Freezing Terror |
| Tracks: 10 | Rating: 85% |
| Running Time: 53:16 |
Freezing Terror debut The Unexpected, the latest musical offering (March of 2021) from brothers Terry (vocals, guitars & keyboards) and Trevor (drums & percussion) Friesen, is a little less progressive and a lot heavier than the Sombre Holiday project in which the two are better known. Distancing from much of the darker and somber Gothic overtures the Sombre Holiday namesake implies, Freezing Terror contrasts with a heavily thrash influenced straight on metal sound but not without periodic doom and power metal leanings. Musical influences (as noted in the Freezing Terror press material) include early Metallica, Supultura, Testament, and Megadeth, not to mention Saint, Trouble, Mortification and old school Deliverance.
Difference between Freezing Terror and many of the above noted pertains to the melodic vocals of Terry Friesen, whom in previous reviews I describe as owning a deep and moody lower register style walking a fine line between Jimmy P. Brown (Deliverance) and Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine). He lends equally to the Freezing Terror heaviness with his relentless rhythm guitar (ranging from fleet and headlong to trudging) and soloing on the precise if not bluesy side. It does not hurt, of course, he is no novice to such playing in reference to how he and Trevor began performing together in the early nineties, and their initial material was of similar heaviness. Trevor lends comparable value with his decisive timekeeping abilities.
With the sound of crashing thunder, album opens to “An Unexpected Return” with a bombastic explosion of exuberant energy to see doom-ish riffs give way to the thrash influenced mindset to plunder the remaining incisive way. Youthfully chanted ‘the King has returned! An unexpected return!’ gang vocals adorning the refrain align with the nimble sentiments. According to its press material, the group composed a group of songs dealing with things unexpected, beginning with the return of Jesus Christ:
The king sees the crowd
The fear in their eyes
They know that they have turned
Away from his command
He will assess the situation
He will ascend unto the throne
Using kingly intuition
He will know who are His own
The thrash based speed metal fortitude further elevates on “Thief In The Night”. Song would sound at home on the 1989 Deliverance self-titled debut, and not just from its core of powering riffs and technical drumming but also the decided catchy hooks to draw in with repeat listen. Equal portions of technical fortitude carry the instrumental portions.
“The Sands Of Time” tempers to mid-tempo territory without backing from the torrential authority. An ominous and haunting blanket covers in the process, meshing with Terry’s melancholic vocal delivery but also laying the bedrock for the reverberating character to prevail. The second song in a row to impress with its instrumental vigor, particularly the smoldering guitar leads. Lyrics focus on the unexpected aspect of death:
Think you’ve got a whole lifetime
Years ahead you’re doing fine
But days are numbered, we don’t know
How or when we’re gonna go....
When the sands of time fall
No one sees the hands of time
When all the sands fall
Suddenly you're out of time
Cleverly entitled “Axe-Dent” is one of albums signature tracks. It begins to a bass solo opening prior to intruding ahead to slow paced and thrash heavy riffs, impressing of the no-nonsense and sternly woven as guitars crush in and out of the mix and refrain touches upon the terse and curtly done. Terry’s leads mirror the bluesy.
Speaking of bass solos, ensuring instrumental “Major Dentalwork” was written by the group in tribute to Metallica bassist Cliff Burton with the intention to connect with Metallica instrumental “(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth” (off Kill ‘Em All from 1983). Musically, it moves its first three minutes to a cool open-air bass solo, but to make things more gruesome there is the sound of a dentists drill in the backdrop! At the halfway point, “Major Dentalwork” takes off rhythm guitar cuts in to push things forward at an infringing mid-tempo clip but interspersed with passages of a speed-based form and even those on the calmer side. Great song!
“Out Of The Sea” opens to a minute of sound effects prior to pulverizing through its verse sections to a storming trade off between punchy rhythm guitar and aggressive drums (cannot say enough good things about Trevor’s assertive timekeeping). Refrain comes across mesmerizing: ‘out of the sea, there came a beast’. Narration from Revelation 13 tops things off.
Plodder “Out Of The Earth” acts as a companion track to “Out Of The Sea”. Song trends cold and dreamy metal territory (in a positive sense either way), gradually drifting to brazen feedback interspersed with sledgehammer guitars that step forward to back the destructively powerful refrain: ‘out of the earth, there came another beast’. This one effectively mirrors the Gothic to doom like flavorings to Sombre Holiday. Lyrics draw upon the Book of Revelation:
There came a beast
Out of the sea
What happens next
No one can know
Out of the earth
There came another beast
Full control
Of all the world
Everyone is forced to bow
“Black Ice” embodies the Freezing Terror power metal side. It starts to distorted guitars and a gunning engine prior to resonating of a chaotic ambience moving ahead, pumping to a sizable low-end bass presence but galloping to an every bit agile demeanor. Blazing lead guitar tops off one of albums more aggressive.
Eight minute epic “Death Row” is albums lone turn towards a progressive direction. I sense doom mixed with a thrash resonance, revealed in the trudging malice to the indomitable riffs and permeating bass not to mention time signatures towards moments of periodic elevated heaviness. A mid-point passage tempering to an ethereal crawl and closing perilous ringing bells further magnify the haunting sentiments. As songs title implies, lyrics offer hope to those literally on death row:
Written on a scroll
Are words from the One
Who gives eternal life
It is for anyone
Now you have the time
You have the time to choose
Receive eternal Life
Receive the Way the Truth...
Air raid sirens appropriately start “The Coming Storm”, a speed metal mauler with knife-edge rhythm guitars and flowing feedback to stand alongside catchy hooks and double kick drum detonations to reveal a besetting form. I love the lead guitar to sizzle between the left and right channels. Barren Cross could not do it any better. Lyrics speak for themselves:
Looking up into the sky
Swirling clouds
You feel something coming
Now’s the time to raise alarm
To get secure
Prepare for the coming storm
Why is it we reflect so little on life
To recognize
What we need deep down inside
There’s more happening
Around us than we know
The battle wages
As the wind begins to blow
It would be an understatement to suggest Freezing Terror debut The Unexpected reveals a heavier side to brothers Friesen. Yes, I admire the duos darker Gothic laced progressive tendencies to Sombre Holiday, but Freezing Terror finds them in an every bit natural environment with its straight on metal and thrash leanings. For those such as this reviewer that shy from the thrash genre need have no concern in that vocals and songwriting approach from a melodic standpoint. No unbearable repetition here! If into thrash and traditional metal - Deliverance to Saint and all things in between - then make The Unexpected a priority purchase!
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “An Unexpected Return” (5:22), “Thief In The Night” (3:51), “The Sands Of Time” (5:10), “Axe-Dent” (3:47), “Major Dentalwork” (5:57), “Out Of The Sea” (4:34), “Out Of The Earth” (6:11), “Black Ice” (3:53), “Death Row” (7:52), “The Coming Storm” (6:36)
Musicians
Terry Friesen - Guitars & Vocals
Trevor Friesen - Drums
