Ice Breaker is a progressive metal journey that weaves cinematic ’70s prog, intricate jazz fusion elements and swaths of classic rock. From the mind of Canadian guitarist/producer, Slang, Ice Breaker reads like a soundtrack to a mind-blowing thriller/fantasy movie. On its 12 instrumental tracks, Slang plays all guitars, bass, keyboards and drum programming (no real drummer). Through a collage of lush sounds and deep textures, Slang plays a variety of styles of music, including flamenco, salsa and pop. Special guests include bassist David Pastorius, Italian singer/songwriter Erica Romeo and session man Dan Palladino. Those of you familiar with jazz fusion bassist extraordinaire, Jaco Pastorius, will be pleased to know his nephew David has followed in his footsteps, laying down some thick, progressive grooves on “Quaff”.

Slang plays homage to Canada and his hometown on three tracks, “Nonsuch”, “Jets” (dedicated to the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets) and the colorful album closer, “Aurora Borealis”. There’s a lot of bright Joe Satriani and John 5 hues, as well as a few brooding King Crimson elements throughout the album. The instrumentation is top notch, and Slang is not just wanking about or showing off, there’s a real purpose and an underlying mood to each track. There’s not a whole lot of info out on Slang at the moment, but you can visit www.slangmusica.com if you’re interested in checking out some of his material. Ice Breaker isn’t just background music, either, it’s the perfect companion to driving your car on a sunny day with the windows down cranking it up to 11!