Dangerdog Music Reviews :: © 1999 - 2025 Craig S Hartranft :: All Rights Reserved
No part of this this website, including design and music reviews,
may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior written permission of the publisher.
CELEBRATING 18 YEARS!
- New Music Reviews
- |
- Archives
- |
- News
- |
- Submissions
- |
- About
- |
- |
New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
January 2025
- Labyrinth: In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye
- Bonfire: Higher Ground
- The Big Deal: Electrified
- Landfall: Wide Open Sky
December 2024
- After Lapse: Pathways
- Illusion Force: Halfana
- Powell-Payne: Voilá
November 2024
- Sunstorm: Restless Fight
- Storace: Crossfire
- Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
- Lionville: Supernatural
- Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
- Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
- Lonerider: Down In The Dust
- Seventh Crystal: Entity
- Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
- Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
- Impellitteri: War Machine
- Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter
October 2024
- Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
- DGM: Endless
- Daytona: Garder la Flamme
- Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
- Frost*: Life In The Wires
- Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
- Fans Of The Dark: Video
- Radioactive: Reset
- House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
- Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire
September 2024
- Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
- Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
- Eclipse: Megalomanium II
- SteelCity: Reverence
- Hydra: ReHydrated
- Heartwind: III
- Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
- Find Me: Nightbound
- The Nail: The Nail
- Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
- Stryper: When We Were Kings
- Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
- Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
- Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly
Coldspell: Frozen Paradise
Coldspell: Frozen Paradise
Melodic Hard Rock/Metal
3.5/5.0
Website
Facebook
YouTube
Escape Music
by Craig Hartranft
09.11.2013
What's that saying? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Sweden's Coldspell returns with their third long player, Frozen Paradise, to deliver melodic hard rock with a metal edge.
Coldspell: chilly.
I really wanted to say that there was something new here. But Coldspell is sticking to their formula. And that's not a bad thing for the band. If anything, their approach is more aggressive, more focused on the goal. That goal is basically a big blistering sound, turning on a rock groove and hooks, metal heaviness from a sturdy rhythm section, and large amounts of riffage and guitar solos.
When this works, Coldspell sounds great, nearly invincible in their purpose. Paradise, Life 2 Live, On The Run, and Soldiers are all songs with this well-balanced formula. However, across the album, there's a single recurring theme, and that's Coldspell crafting every song to be heavier melodic hard rock. Some songs simply turn on this like Life Has Just Begun or Angel of the World, which thumps along. This makes this album no different than their previous: it's Out From The Cold Part 2. But that's the point made from the start. Alternatively, on the positive side, also alluded to above, Coldspell has found their groove, is working their mojo, and there's no turning back. Give them high marks for being consistent and constant. When their game is on, look out.
Tweet
Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.
In Short
Sticking with their tried and true formula, Coldspell delivers another album of aggressive heavier melodic hard rock. Why modify the ship when you simply polish the chrome?
Find A Review
Alphabetical Index
New & Notable
The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]