Ice Age: "There has to be something to sink your teeth into, in addition to the instrumental prowess"

Ice Age made an unexpected but very welcoming comeback to the discography, with a great album like "Waves Of Loss And Power" coming more than two decades since their last LP. We had the chance to talk with the guys from the band and learn everything regarding their return, the making of the new album and their love for progressive music. And none of Josh (Pincus: vocals, keys), Jimmy (Pappas: guitars), Doug (O' Dell: bass) and Hal (Aponte: drums) let us down. On the contrary they had a lot of nice and interesting things to say and you can read all of them below.

Hello guys! It's great to have you and Ice Age back in action. How are you feeling being back in business?

Josh: Thanks! We're very excited to be back! Everyone in the band has missed having this creative outlet, It really is like a rebirth of sorts for all of us; we'll all been involved in other musical projects over the years, but Ice Age was always the one that gave each of us the most satisfaction and excitement musically; it's an opportunity we're thrilled to have again, especially after such a long break, and at our ripe old age. (lol)

Your new studio album - 22 years after "Liberation" - is being released these days. What's the feedback you get so far?

Josh: The feedback so far has been amazing. It's been uniformly positive; some of it has been incredibly enthusiastic. People who love progressive rock "get" what we're doing and understand that we're not interested in current musical fads; we just play from our hearts, and I think that comes through in the music. It's so gratifying to know that the fans from decades ago remember and appreciate the band and are so excited to have us back. We're thrilled to be able to share "Waves of Loss and Power" with all of our fans, old and new.

When fans point out that it feels like no time has passed in between the last album and this one, that is the highest compliment we could hope for

Personally, the more I listen to "Waves Of Loss And Power" the more I appreciate the work you have put into it and the more I love it. Would you agree with me that it's a challenging but rewarding work, even for the standards of progressive rock/metal genre?

Doug: From my perspective, it is more challenging in that when I joined the band (2001) we were rehearsing/writing new music 15-20 hours a week. Now that everyone has more obligations than we did at that time it, it's a heavier lift for us to write music that requires this level of musicianship and vocals. It's incredibly rewarding because the reception has been so positive! When fans point out that it feels like no time has passed in between the last album and this one, that is the highest compliment we could hope for.

Josh: Thanks so much for that - we're very proud of the album. It's definitely a challenge, due to time constraints as Doug mentioned, and because keeping our "chops" up to standard after such a long break requires a ton of practice and effort, as you say. The great thing is that we've always had such an amazing musical chemistry between us that's never gone away; it's a great joy for all of us to be able to write together again. We have so much to say musically and lyrically that we need to get out there, so it never really feels like "work."

How different is it to be in a progressive rock/metal band in our days in comparison to the 90s? What's better now and what's more difficult now?

Doug: The biggest difference from the 1990s to the present is the internet. Distribution and exposure have leaned heavily towards streaming and away from physical product. The ability to promote/communicate/connect directly with fans because of social media platforms has leveled the playing field for independent bands like Ice Age. What is more difficult is that there are so many bands out there now, that it is easy to get lost in a sea of so many countless other groups, all vying for space.

Your first two albums were released by Magna Carta, a record label that helped me get in touch with some great artists back in the 90s and early 00s. What was the role of Magna Carta for the genre and how did you view it being on its roster?

Josh: Obviously, Magna Carta was THE prog label at the time - it was a dream come true for us to be offered a deal by them. As you say, they had a roster of incredibly talented bands and musicians, many of which are still active today. The label really gave great exposure to progressive rock and metal music, and we'll always be grateful to them. Unfortunately, they didn't really have the budget/desire to properly develop their acts in order to help them get to the next level; we just didn't have the support we needed in order to get on tours or even to gig consistently, and that's a large part of the reason we became disillusioned with the business side of things.

We could not have asked for a better fit than to have a new home for Ice Age with Sensory Records

How did you end up releasing your new album through The Laser's Edge? Ken Golden claims to be a really old fan of the band, so it must have helped. Are you satisfied with his work so far?

Doug: There are a lot of cool moments of serendipity in this new chapter of the Ice Age story. We started a serious outreach to music labels once we knew that something special was brewing with this new material (Spring 2020). One of the labels I contacted was Laser's Edge/Sensory. Without the prior knowledge of Ken's history with the band (Josh can speak to that), I shared a sample of the new songwriting the band had been working on. Ken was immediately on board and he's been an incredible partner in this process. We could not have asked for a better fit than to have a new home for Ice Age with Sensory Records.

Josh: Yes, Ken is an old friend and fan of the band - he had seen us play at the Powermad festival in Baltimore in 1998; he actually was responsible for us playing the first Nearfest festival in 1999 - that was a highlight for us back then, for sure. We're thrilled to be working with him again; he a true fan of this genre of music.

The beauty of the process was that we were really only doing it for ourselves; we weren't trying to meet anyone's standards or expectations

Now, one thing I love about your new album is that it seems uncompromising old-school and I mean it in the best possible way. Was it your intention to write and the music you loved and adored back in the day when you formed the band and try not to change your sound in order to fit more to today's prog standards? Did it feel a bit risky for you or was it a no brainer?

Josh: As I said above, once we got together to start playing and writing again, the music flowed very organically; there was no "master plan" as far as style or direction. We just stayed true to ourselves and it came very naturally. The beauty of the process was that we were really only doing it for ourselves; we weren't trying to meet anyone's standards or expectations.

Hal: We had always remained great friends (we are brothers if you will) even after many years of the band not playing or performing together. We always missed that incredible chemistry and joy that we felt while writing and playing music together. Doug and I had always been involved with several other great bands and side projects. But we could never fill that void created by the idleness of Ice Age. It really felt like there was just so much unfinished business left. We all felt it and we all had questioned it. So, we had no choice but to revisit the possibility of playing together again. So back in 2015 or so, we all reunited for a barbecue at my house, and we decided that we should take this opportunity to just jam for fun. No strings attached, no commitments, no obligations but most importantly ... no expectations. Needless to mention this but we all knew instantly that we still had a lot more to say musically and that Ice Age wasn't finished by any stretch of the imagination. It was a very exciting time knowing that eventually we would all be writing new music together again. In the months laying ahead we scheduled a few studio sessions to start the rehearsal process and to see where it would lead us. I must admit, there was some uncertainty on whether or not we would be able to write the same way as we used to. And would the writing come as naturally as it did before? Back in our "youth" the musical ideas, breaks and transitions would just flow without much hesitation. Honestly, it was pretty amazing to watch back then and thankfully it's something we still possess today. It truly is a beautiful musical connection.

Doug: As Hal said, in 2015 we started casually jamming and getting together. Very naturally and organically the jams started to get structured into sketches that developed over time into songs. It was never planned or really talked about, we just found our way back into writing music together without any agenda or deadlines. It was about making art for art's sake in a very pure way. Without having to even discuss it, the writing style instinctively manifested itself as the classic Ice Age sound.

I like to call Rich Mouser the "Bob Rock of Prog"

At the same time, I think the overall sound and production of the album is really good and improved from your previous efforts. Is it a result of experience of yours or is it that you had the great Rich Mouser on mix and mastering? Or both? What was your goal on terms of sound and production of the album?

Doug: This is where Ice Age stepped into some new territory. Jimmy has always mixed and mastered the group's material. All of what you hear on "The Great Divide" and "Liberation" is his fantastic work. This time, Josh reached out to Rich Mouser who is well-known for working with Spock's Beard, Transatlantic and Dream Theater just to name a few. I like to call him the "Bob Rock of Prog." Rich took our tracks to unimagined heights with his bat-ears and we are thrilled and honored that he took on the project to fully mix and master the new album. Josh and Jim flew out to his studio in Los Angeles, California to sit in on the sessions as well. Our goal was to take full advantage of 2023 technology, but keep the drums sounding earthy. Every drum, cymbal and percussion you hear is 100% mic-ed and acoustic. There is no digital replacement of anything Hal did on these songs. Also the vocal production and the increased use of vocal harmonies is a next-level step up for us and it really shows!

Regarding the music and the lyrics, who's done what for the new album ?

Doug: Josh is a gifted and profound lyricist, and he wrote all of the lyrics and vocal melodies for this new album. The two main music writers in this band are Jimmy and Josh. Jimmy is an endless font of one-of-a-kind guitar riffs, chord progressions and melodic hooks. It just pours out of him, effortlessly when he picks up a guitar. Josh writes some of the most emotionally evocative piano compositions, but then he can also switch on a dime and rip with unforgettable synth leads/melodies and bluesy, dynamic organ parts. Hal always finds the absolute perfect drum part to fit in with what's happening musically and no matter how proggy it is, he grooves like nobody else. We lock in as a rhythm section so instinctively it's almost scary! I had pretty much total freedom to come up with my own bass parts. There is absolute trust and respect between the four of us when it comes to writing and arranging. As diverse as our tastes are individually, we compliment each other and it just sounds like Ice Age! Especially the core three of Hal, Josh and Jim.

We never really leave those formative years behind, and we carry everything with us through our lives, whether we admit it or not

Both "Perpetual Child Part II: Forever" and "To Say Goodbye" (parts IV and V) are standout tracks, while both clock more than 14 minutes and are sequels to songs from your previous albums. How did you decide to do these sequels and how do you approach the writing of such long tracks?

Josh: Well, that's a prog tradition, right? Rush had the "Fear" saga, etc… as we were writing for WAVES, I always had in mind the idea of continuing the stories/songs we started on the first two albums. Musically, some of the parts Jimmy came up with for what would become "Perpetual Child Part II" were reminiscent of the first part, and we kept that in mind as we fleshed out the song. When I started writing on the piano, it became clear my subconscious was steering me back in the direction of "To Say Goodbye," so I went with it. On the new album, we knew we had a real opportunity to go "big" in continuing some of the musical motifs and lyrical ideas of the first two albums. I wanted to connect with fans of the first two albums, and remind them that we remember what came before, and that we feel like these concepts we touched on back in the day still apply to the continuing experience of music and life. The idea of the Perpetual Child is about reconciling yourself to the experiences and "duties" of adulthood, while being self-aware enough to realize that we never really leave those formative years behind, and that we carry everything with us through our lives, whether we admit it or not. It's also used as a metaphor for other things in Part II, but I'll leave that for the listener to figure out! "To Say Goodbye" is really about loss, regret, and grief. We all experience these things in many different ways - Part V is pretty specific regarding the issue it addresses.

On the other hand, "All My Years" is also a great song, with a hard rock vibe I think, and it's just four minutes long. Do you try to take the best out of both worlds? Do you have a different approach for shorter and more straightforward songs?

Doug: We never set out to target a song to end up being a certain duration. As Jimmy (guitarist) has stated, Ice Age songs take you on a journey. "All My Years" and "Float Away" just happen to complete that journey and make their musical statements in shorter form than some of our prog epics do!

We fully intend to follow this album up with another as soon as possible

Have you written more material that you didn't use on the album, and you would consider using on a future release? Really are there already and plans for more music in the future?

Josh: There is absolutely material that we couldn't use for "Waves of Loss and Power," not because it wasn't up to standard, but because we couldn't put out a 2-hour album! We have a bunch of parts and pieces that we'll be working on in the near future, and I'm sure we'll be coming up with lots of brand new material as well; we fully intend to follow this album up with another as soon as possible.

You are playing ProgPower festival? I bet you look forward to playing there, it will be a blast! Do you plan on more live dates? Any chance to come to Europe at some point?

Doug: We are planning more dates and actively exploring all opportunities that make sense for us. Ice Age hasn't been in Europe since 2004 so we would love to come back if the chance presents itself.

Josh: We're really excited about ProgPower USA; it was an honor to be asked to do it, and our fans are really stoked to see us again. We never expected to have these kinds of opportunities again, and we intend to make the most of them. We'll be doing some gigs before the festival during the summer.

It's natural for the style of progressive music to evolve into territories like you might find with bands such as Periphery

As an old fan of the prog genre how do you see its current state? Has the term lost its meaning somehow or is it natural and healthy to expand its borders as time goes by?

Doug: I don't think the term has lost its meaning, no. There are classic legacy acts like Yes (albeit without original lineups) that are still flying the flag and carrying on with new and worthwhile output. Then you have a big return last year of Porcupine Tree which was highly anticipated (and a solid new record) but this may be a one-off depending on what other avenues Steven Wilson decides to travel. Having Rush retire - and then Neil Peart's passing was a tremendous loss in that we will never have any new output from them. They truly went out on top with their final album and tour. I think it's natural for the style of progressive music to evolve into territories like you might find with bands such as Periphery. Then you find an indie band that's truly in their own unique orbit like Thank You Scientist.

All of our individual and collective influences are in the sonic stew to be found

In my opinion there is a lack of bands playing more "traditional" progressive metal like that of the 90s, established by bands like Dream Theater, Queensryche and Fates Warning. Do you agree? If yes, why do you think this is the case? And then, do you want to win over that audience again with Ice Age?

Doug: Queensryche have been working their way back to their roots with the new lineup. They are about to release a new album. Of course I miss having original singer Geoff Tate there, but I respect what the band is trying to do. Fates Warning's last couple of albums have been really strong, but the future of that band seems up in the air at the moment. Dream Theater have kept marching forward and staying very true to their approach. A few other bands I have come to admire that are still active and worth checking out are Jolly, Evergrey and Event (Josh and I saw Event open up for Spock's Beard in NYC back in the early 2000s). I hope that fans of rock, metal, progressive rock or progressive metal all find something they can identify with if they get introduced to Ice Age and give the new album a spin. I believe that all of our individual and collective influences are in the sonic stew to be found!

In addition to having those "progressive" elements, ultimately there has to be something to sink your teeth into

Which current prog bands do you like and follow? Is there any band (or artist) you consider as leader of the current scene?

Doug: I've been following Fates Warning since the "Parallels" album and I love the different phases of development they've gone through as a band. I know that Josh loves original singer John Arch too, but I am team Alder all the way! (Ray Alder, vocalist of Fates Warning). I hope they aren't done! That record and "When Dream And Day Unite" by Dream Theater are the first two prog metal albums I ever added to my collection. I've been a rabid Rush fan since "Permanent Waves", they really opened the door for me with regards to progressive rock. I wouldn't consider King's X to be a prog band in the true sense, but they are in my top 5 favorite groups of all time. For bands on the prog metal side of things, I think the new Porcupine Tree ("Closure/Continuation") album sounds great and Gavin Harrison (drummer) is an absolute monster of technique and groove.

Josh: I'm a huge fan of Spock's Beard; they have been a big inspiration for me over the years, in all their incarnations. I find their ability to meld progressive elements, melodies, vocal harmonies, and groove very unique. As it relates to Ice Age, we also like to think that it's melody and memorable musical and thoughtful, challenging lyrics that differentiate us from a lot of prog bands out there - we all grew up listening to and loving bands that were known for their strong songwriting (Rush, Kansas, Styx, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, etc…), in addition to having those "progressive" elements - ultimately, for me, there has to be something to sink your teeth into, in addition to the instrumental prowess.

That was it from me! Congrats for the new album and your strong comeback to the scene! I wish all the best for you! Final words are yours!

Josh: I just want to say thanks so much to all our fans for sticking with us and being patient all these years - we are so thankful for you and gratified that you're enjoying the new music!