heavy-metal-darkness: Frozen Land | Icemelter

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Frozen Land | Icemelter | Massacre Records

Release Date: 21 November 2025
Format: Digipak CD, Vinyl LP, Digital
Genre: Power Metal
Country: Finland

Frozen Land from Helsinki formed in the mid 2010s and slowly grew from a small local project into a steady name in European power metal circles. Their style has always leaned on bright melodies, fast pacing and melodic guitar work, with “Icemelter” marking their third full album. The current lineup keeps the group tight and focused, led by guitarist and main songwriter Tuomas Hirvonen. Through the years the band built a reputation for catchy hooks and an old school approach to the genre. With this release they try to sound tougher without throwing away their melodic roots.

“Icemelter” pushes Frozen Land toward a heavier front, although the heart of the music stays very traditional. The guitar work hits harder than before, the vocals reach high places and the overall tone sounds colder and more severe. The atmosphere of the album revolves around stories of corruption, collapse and worn down spirits. Tracks like “Dead End” show this clearly with short but pointed lyrics. The production team adds muscle to the whole package and gives the music a strong punch without turning it into a storm of noise.

Still, the album often circles too close to the familiar world of Stratovarius. Some guitar runs and vocal lines resemble Timo Kotipelto’s work enough to pull attention away from Frozen Land’s own identity. This is not instantly harmful, although it does flatten the personality of the album from time to time. When the band locks into their heavier side they create excitement, although the shadow of their influences occasionally follows them.

Even with these bumps, “Icemelter” stands as a solid power metal release with energy, clear hooks and enough edge to interest fans of the genre. It has strong moments and confident performances, although it does not fully shake off the comparisons that cling to it. Frozen Land sounds hungry and committed, and while the album does not push them into a new chapter, it proves they can hit hard and stay consistent. Listeners who enjoy classic European power metal will find a steady dose of cold fire here.

Score: 6.5