Fire + Ice - Neofolk Between Fire and Ice

In Norse mythology, the creation of the world originates from the meeting between the intense cold of Niflheim, realm of primordial ice, and the heat of Muspelheim, home of the fiercest fire. In the initial void (Ginnungagap), the two elemental forces find their balance, giving rise to the primordial being Ymir and the cow Auðhumla. From these two descend gods, men, giants and all the beings that populate the rich Norse pantheon.

Ian Read keeps this myth firmly in mind when he decides to embark on his solo career under the name "Fire + Ice". After all, since adolescence our man has been fascinated by the study of ancient North European traditions. For him, fire and ice are two extremes between which to move in search of the necessary balance, always gravitating around his own roots and his own spiritual identity.

Read is not just a pillar of the neofolk genre, but above all a true Galdr who follows the way of Odin, the one who sees everything with one blind eye. We are faced with a figure of strong personality who has chosen an existential path that could also be called "Evolian": his attitude is that of someone who, against his will, finds himself living in the anti-traditional world as described in "Ride the Tiger" by the Italian philosopher. In an interview he stated that he began very early on to set himself apart from the herd represented by his peers, who were interested only in worldly life. Read realized he had "nothing to do with the bourgeois world" and turned to an inner quest that would lead him to become a scholar of Norse mythology, runes and magic. From the very beginning, his artistic activity has consisted of genuine rituals. And his music has always been inseparable from a relentless spiritual quest.

Through Freya Aswynn, a scholar of Dutch origin likewise initiated into the cult of the runes, Ian Read met Douglas Pearce and David Tibet in London around the mid-Eighties. Later, he would also come to meet Tony Wakeford, thus entering the circle of the then-nascent English neofolk scene. Read took part in one of the most fascinating records by Death In June, namely "Brown Book" (1987), where he lends lustre to the title track by performing the Horst Wessel Lied, the official anthem of the SA.

Read's actual musical career thus begins with Current 93, where he sings on a seminal record for the genre, "Swastikas For Noddy" (1988), and contributes to "Earth Covers Earth" (released the same year), where he also appears in the group photo on the cover, among others alongside a young John Balance (Coil), with whom Read shared a genuine passion for chaos magic that also led him to become the leader of the English branch of the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT) in the early Nineties.

Read then joins the nascent Sol Invictus as a full member of the group's first incarnation, singing on "Against The Modern World" (1988), a work of fundamental historical importance for the genre. We also find his voice on the live album "In The Jaws Of The Serpent". Read also takes part in the Japanese tour with Sol Invictus, Death In June and Current 93. He then performs on Current's mini-LP "Looney Runes" (1990), drawn from that tour, specifically on the track "Invocation". His last appearances with Sol Invictus will be on the albums "Lex Talionis" and "Trees In Winter", but his contribution, including to the lyrics, will remain decisive, marking the project with an aristocratic aura steeped in archaic British charm.

At that point, Read travels to Germany to study the secrets of Norse mythology and, upon his return, decides that the time has come to bring Fire + Ice to life. In 1992, the group's debut album, Gilded By The Sun, is released, and it remains one of the most significant chapters in his entire discography. Its sound, which reveals a desire to draw close to a traditional folk rooted in the traditions of Germanic culture, would go on to influence later groups such as Unto Ashes, Sonne Hagal and Orplid. Read's approach to folk material is poetic and mystical in nature.

After the brief intro of "The Horsemen's Word" comes "Long Lankin", an intimate folk ballad that immediately stakes its claim as a minor classic of the genre. It's impossible not to be moved by such purity and idealism. After "Corpus Christi", another gentle acoustic composition perhaps hampered by a less-than-stellar vocal performance, comes the ritualistic "Ljosalfar", a term that in Norse mythology refers to the "light elves" who inhabited the realm of Álfheimr, one of the nine worlds of Norse cosmogony. The music is majestic, aided by the use of organ, and sounds almost like the accompaniment to an ancient Viking ritual.

On "Fire Above" the style changes completely: drum machine and a rock-leaning electric guitar dominate, recalling a bit the sound of Cult. The bucolic "Sir John Barleycorn" takes us back into folk revival territory, while "Blood On The Snow" is another of the album's standout tracks: a fine post-punk bass line is followed by lush, regal keyboards placed well to the fore, and female voices in the background. After the acoustic inlays of the title track, the closing "Long Lankin Trashing" follows a post-industrial sound close to some of the martial experiments of Death In June and Sol Invictus.

Overall, this is a stylistically varied work that, in this respect, can recall "Nada!" by Death in June. A fundamental record for understanding the developments of neofolk in its most Heathen-leaning drift.

The following album, Hollow Ways, benefits from the collaboration of Michael Cashmore and Joolie Wood, members of Current 93. Cashmore in particular, with his acoustic guitar, contributed decisively to Tibet's fortunes: his timeless, melancholy style would go on to define essential Current 93 works such as the beautiful live album "As The World Disappears", "Thunder Perfect Mind", "Of Ruine Or Some Blazing Starre" and "All The Pretty Little Horses", all indispensable cornerstones for anyone following the genre. His contribution is clearly recognizable right from the opening, moving "Lord Of Secrets", where Read's voice manages to be truly affecting, accompanied by Cashmore's refined guitar filigree and by flute. The following "Militia Templi" is, in its own way, a minor classic of the genre: a highly intense track, with an arcane, esoteric atmosphere that sends shivers down the spine and recalls a landmark record like the aforementioned "Thunder Perfect Mind". On "Seeker" we find priestess Freya Aswinn on vocals. "The Old Grey Widowmaker", on the other hand, still breathes an evocative air of bygone times and enchanted castles, in a track stylistically very close to traditional folk. "Huldra's Maze" is in the same vein: sinuous synth lines give it a unique atmosphere recalling Sand, the German folk group rediscovered by David Tibet.

In the second part, even more space is given to typically traditional folk sounds, in tracks like "The Rising Of The Moon", "Holy Vehm" and "Ershebeth", sung in German. Compared to the opening tracks, some of the tension is perhaps lost, but the quality remains high, and the points of reference inevitably go to folk revival groups like C.O.B., Forest and Incredible String Band.

Midwinter Fires, from 1995, features in the lineup Ian Pirrie on acoustic guitar in place of Michael Cashmore, Matthew Butler on keyboards and percussion, and again Joolie Wood on vocals and violin. Pirrie doesn't have Cashmore's touch, but he is nonetheless a worthy collaborator in his own right. The album may come across as a transitional work, but here too the lyrics reveal great care and a deep knowledge of British folklore.

After the opening "Fael Inis", a fine piece of medieval folk, the following "The Cause" is a fierce, rough-edged ballad recalling early Sol Invictus. "Reaper Man" too - though a gentle, pastoral folk piece - closely recalls the Sol Invictus style in its vocal delivery and overall atmosphere, and is perhaps one of the most inspired moments of the whole collection. "High Gallows Tree" is another ballad in which Read isn't quite flawless vocally. After the gloomy interlude of "Olofaet", it's the turn of the moving "Wisdom, Strengo, Ellen, Bliss", minimal and steeped in atmosphere.

The instrumentals on the title track and on "Aceldama" are excellent, while "Fokstua Hall" is another folk revival piece carried by a genuine feeling. "Nine Doors" closes an album that is perhaps not always inspired, but no less worthy than certain contemporary efforts by Sol Invictus, who benefited from greater fame and visibility.

In 1996 Fire + Ice's masterpiece came out, namely Rûna. It's a distinctive work compared to their earlier output. Within the overall sound, great importance is given to keyboards and percussion, while acoustic guitars play an almost secondary role. Conceptually, this is Read's most important record: a kind of journey into the discovery of the secrets of the runes. The album is a show of maturity that also marks the leader's initiation into the Rune-Gild, a cultural association founded by Edred Thorsson (pseudonym of Stephen Edred Flowers) devoted to the esoteric and exoteric study of the runes, as well as of ancient Germanic culture and its most sacred aspects and mysteries. Both Read and Freya Aswynn were promising students of Stephen Flowers. Compared to the casual, superficial use of runes that, unfortunately, sometimes occurs in neofolk and metal circles, a masterpiece like Rûna shows another level of depth and initiatory rigor. The neopagan outlook of Read, Aswynn and Flowers himself is in some ways very close to that of the Asatru Folk Assembly, an association devoted to Germanic Heathenry - in its "folkish", i.e. non-universalist, strand - founded in the US by Stephen A. McNallen in the 1970s.

Read surrounds himself only with Matthew Butler and Ian Pirrie - along with Katerina and Ingrid Wultsch on vocals - and explores his most intimate side. The title track opens the album in a hushed, atmospheric way. The following "Hamr" is marked by dark, martial, almost industrial sounds. On "Weirdstaves" the mood returns to being calm and ethereal, with Read's voice accompanied by acoustic guitar filigree and keyboards. "The Galdor", on the other hand, opens with a powerful, martial, apocalyptic drum march, followed by airy, dark keyboard sounds, while the spoken German passage lends the whole a Teutonic, austere flavor. "Egil" is another inspired track, full of a gloomy atmosphere that brings to mind ancient, forgotten pagan rituals. "Holy Mead" is a hymn to the purity and magic of great bygone times. The closing "Seiðkona" ends the album with a spoken-word passage - in German - from guest Katerina Wultsch.

What stands out on Rûna, compared to earlier efforts, is a greater intensity and a stylistic cohesion that was sometimes lacking in previous works. The production also improves, and the vocals come across as more entrancing and effective. The album was reissued on vinyl in 2012 by Autre Que, to the delight of fans.

In 2000, Ian Read shuffled the deck again and returned to the past, once more enlisting musicians of the caliber of the trusty Michael Cashmore, as well as figures from the scene such as Douglas P. of Death In June, Michael Moynihan of Blood Axis, and Richard "Ostara" Leviathan (a key figure on the underrated "Kapo!" by Death In June and in the great Scorpion Wind). The new album - Birdking - represents something of a return to the folk-oriented approach already explored in part on Gilded By The Sun and, above all, on Hollow Ways. The opening "Dragons In The Sunset" is a precious folk gem that perhaps brings to mind C.O.B. more than Current 93. The title track - marked by Cashmore's acoustic guitar, which inevitably recalls Current 93, but also Nature And Organisation, and by the sound of the harmonium - is moving in its simplicity, transporting us into a timeless dimension.

"The Werewolf Of London Town" - a very gothic title - still follows the enchanted mood of this record. "Drighten's Hall" features a lovely female voice in what is a classic folk ballad. Another female voice, that of Alice Karlsdottir, introduces "Layd Of The Vanir", undoubtedly one of the album's standout tracks and of Fire + Ice's entire discography. On the misty "Take My Hand", the typical Death In June-style guitar figure that set a trend takes center stage, here played by Douglas P. himself, who also appears on piano.

"Greyhead" takes us back once more into territory explored in the '70s by the aforementioned C.O.B. and Forest, with a fine violin to the fore. "My Brother" is a hymn built around the organ, with Read's voice as the great protagonist. "Where They Have Gone?" closes the album in classic folk fashion: another essential gem in the Fire and Ice discography.

Also in 2000, a split 7" with Death In June saw Fire + Ice contribute an unreleased track, "The Unquiet Grave", on side B, while side A featured a classic "We Said Destroy" by Death In June. On the Fire + Ice track we find viola and the voice of Ysanne Spevack, who duets magically with Read here.

At this point, the undisputed leader of Fire + Ice founded an entirely traditional folk band called Figg's Academy, but unfortunately they would only get to play a couple of shows, including one in 2008 at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig.

At this point, Ian Read takes a break. We have to wait until 2012 to see the release of a new Fire + Ice album: Fractured Man. For the occasion, he enlists a sizeable cast of collaborators, including Michael Moynihan and Annabel Lee of Blood Axis (perhaps the band philosophically closest to Read's “vision” of reality), Michael Laird of Unto Ashes, Sonne Hagal, and the ever-present Douglas P. The title track – written by Michael Laird – draws us into this mystical, pagan journey. The vocals – Read sounding inspired and compelling on this occasion – are accompanied by the beautiful, timeless tones of Laird's harmonium.

After the brief “Caratucus” – you can say many things about Douglas P., but not that his guitar sound is unrecognizable – comes the heartfelt “Treasure House”. There's no denying the simplicity and purity of this music, free of the martial and industrial trappings that, at times, only succeed in weighing down the musical fabric. “Nimm” is a track built on the enchanted sounds of a music box and the arpeggios of a beautiful acoustic guitar – courtesy of Sonne Hagal – over which Read's voice whispers. After the unmemorable “Have You Seen?” comes the epic folk ballad “Mr. Wednesday”, a track dedicated to Wotan, in pure Fire + Ice style. On “Verloschen”, Sonne Hagal again take centre stage with their acoustic textures and oboe. “Ælfsiden” – marked by the sound of violin – carries an infinite melancholy, evoking bleak, fog-shrouded English landscapes. “Fracture Again” closes the circle, once again with Douglas P.'s guitar in the spotlight.

The album was followed by a long string of concerts around the world. Michael Moynihan on percussion, Annabel Lee on violin and Robert Ferbrache on guitar accompanied Read for many of the dates. For the occasion, the three Blood Axis members also opened for the frontman with their own folk project, Knotwork, a traditional Irish music band whose studio recordings also feature Canadian guitarist Dono Schabner. The “Fractured Europe Tour” also stopped in Italy, in Genoa, at the Anglican Church of the Holy Ghost in Piazza Marsala, on 27 July 2014.

To date – not counting the live album recorded in Portugal, Deo Endovellico Sacrum, released in 2014 by the American label Pesanta – this remains the latest Fire + Ice full length. Jubal And Tubal Cain/The Two Magicians is a 7" split released in 2016 on Autre Que, featuring one song by Fire + Ice and one by Knotwork.

In 2019, again on Autre Que, came a 10" vinyl EP, Wanderer, featuring several Fire + Ice classics, with Robert Ferbrache and Michael and Annabel Moynihan of Blood Axis lending Read a hand. This latest incarnation of Fire + Ice finds the project in splendid form, still able to enchant with its magical, dreamlike folk.

Ian Read is an artist of integrity. More than a chronicler of the moral and material decay of our times, he is the one who has best embodied the epic and the ethic of neofolk in its most mystical and neo-pagan soul. His is a redemptive rediscovery of the true Indo-European mythological spirit, a quest for a pathos capable of mending the most painful fractures of the Old Continent.

(This monograph is dedicated to the memory of Ingrid Wultsch, collaborator, wife and life partner of Ian Read, who recently passed away)

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