Glacier - Glacier (1985) [40th Anniversary Edition 2025]

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Glacier - Glacier (1985) [40th Anniversary Edition 2025]

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Five songs and three different singers (Michael Podyrbau, Keith Flax and Rex McNew). When Glacier’s mini-album was originally released in 1985 on the French label Axe Killer Records, it was mostly overlooked by the record buying public. However, over the coming decades new generations of fans re-discovered this forgotten gem and cherished it for what it is: a fantastic example of traditional US metal. Glacier was originally formed in 1979 in Oregon as a cover band. “I was in a band called Harlot from Salem, Oregon, at the time, and my girlfriend told me about Glacier needing a singer,” explains vocalist Mike Podyrbau. “She put me in touch with Pat (Goebel, drums), and I went up to Portland to audition. I sang one Judas Priest song and an Iron Maiden song and they welcomed me to the band.” At that point in time Glacier’s career started to take off, as a demo tape called »Ready For Battle« was about to be recorded. “We had actually recorded the song ‘Live For The Whip’ first at Mt. Hood Community College in Oregon,” remembers Podyrbau. “A friend of Scott Prinzing's (original bass player/singer of Glacier) was going through the recording program and that's how we received the recording opportunity. We recorded ‘Live For The Whip’ there, and ended up going to Northstar Recording studio to record the three remaining songs: ‘Ready For Battle’, ‘Devil In Disguise’, and ‘Speak No Evil’. I'm not sure why we didn't professionally record ‘Live For The Whip’, but it is definitely a solid song.” According to the vocalist, various record companies were approached with said demo: “Yes absolutely. We shopped around for quite a few labels; we were also approached by PAR Records, but the guys went with Axe Killer instead. At that point, Glacier faced a big problem: the labels wouldn't do a three-song EP, and I had already left the band for a professional jet skiing career. I had performed all of the other songs, ‘Confession’, ‘Vendetta’ and ‘When Heavens At Hand’ live, but the guys wanted to go a different route. Glacier ended up hiring Rex McNew to record ‘Vendetta’ and Keith Flax to record ‘When Heavens At Hand.’” In 2017, the band appeared at the legendary Keep It True festival under the name of Devil In Disguise. A while later, the name was changed back to Glacier. In 2020, a new studio album called »The Passing Of Time« was issued. Glacier are currently working on brand new material.