KasperRosaIceBreakerWith long, sprawling, guitar-heavy tracks reminiscent of Kyuss or Corrosion of Conformity, it’d be easy to describe Kasper Rosa as an album band. The only problem, they have yet to release a full length album. ‘Ice Breaker’ is the latest in a series of short EP releases from the Northern Ireland based progressive post-rock band.

And while to say something leaves you hungry for more is usually a compliment, the two track “Ice Breaker” is almost maddening in the way it just about provides the listener with an enticing starter, and then closes the restaurant and goes home before the main course.

The opening track, Khora is a sludgy onslaught of sweeping riffs and melodic breakdowns that defies a conventional structure over its six minutes, but never devolves into mindless jamming.

The second and closing track, Fires of Great Ships, is even longer, with more juxtaposition between heavy intensity and moments of almost complete silence. Layers of distortion build up over and on top of each other, punctured by the rippling of symbols and the bluesy twang of guitars. As it builds to a grant finale it borders on the colossal, and almost sounds like something a virtuoso of the electric guitar like Yngwie Malmsteen might produce.

And then it’s over. ‘Ice Breaker’ is a great calling card for a band not afraid to experiment and let themselves be carried off in weird phonic directions, while at the same time maintaining the discipline to never succumb to self-indulgence. It suggests a lot of potential, but just doesn’t fully deliver.

Kasper Rosa are probably an album band. When they eventually release an actual album, it’ll be one to watch out for.