Fire and Ice- Not of this Earth (Reaper Records)

  A lot of bands have come and gone in hardcore and it is really hard to have any kind of staying power, especially in this day and age.  One thing I have noticed is that while anyone can play hardcore, few people can play it well.  That may sound picky and snobby, but with all of the bullshit that is flooding the internet these days, I would like to think I am free to be as picky as I want.  For starters, as I said before this music is really easy and anyone can play it.  That doesn't mean you have to practice it for a day and then go out and tour.  While I do still have a great big soft spot in my heart for loud, sloppy hardcore, I prefer watching bands that are a little bit tighter at this point.  I guess good songwriting and stage presence is what sets bands apart for me these days.  While I wasn't a huge fan of Fire and Ice's vocals on their first demo, they have grown on me more and more as I listen to the "COLLECTIONS" LP and now this NOT OF THIS EARTH LP.  The guitar sound of this band is something I was fond of immediately when I heard them.  I definitely feel the late 80s NYHC vibe continuing on with this release and there's nothing wrong with that.  I really like the riffs on this record, they keep things interesting while playing a style of music that isn't always exciting.  There's even a Bill and Ted's esque (though I am sure it wasn't meant that way) guitar interlude on here.  I've always been somewhat reminded of Leeway (with some Madball in the hard parts) in this band's sound and AJ Novello even co-produced this record with Dean Baltulonis!  What sets this band apart to me are the guitars and the vocals, which as I said I have grown to enjoy with this band.  Both at times almost have a late 80s rock feel to them (a la Leeway again).  There's also even a couple hints of melody on this record, which isn't a bad thing by any means.  These guys also get extra points for saying "sock it to me" at the beginning of a breakdown.  I have missed this band the couple times they played this area, but after hearing this LP I definitely intend to see them live soon.