Ash & Ice
by The Kills
  • Record Label: Domino
  • Release Date: Jun 3, 2016
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
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  1. No Ripcord
    Jul 6, 2016
    60
    At 50 minutes, there is the overriding feeling that the album outstays its welcome, with the blueprint lacking the dynamism for it to maintain its focus.
  2. Spin
    Jun 14, 2016
    60
    It is an acceptable listen--on par with the Kills’ previous record, 2011’s Blood Pressures--but your best hope for enjoying it is to manage your expectations.
  3. musicOMH.com
    Jun 13, 2016
    60
    There are several false starts during The Kills’ fifth effort and the execution does not always quite match the intention, but for the most part it’s a successful return for the duo.
  5. The Guardian
    Jun 2, 2016
    60
    The duo’s tendency to drift towards cliche (has there ever been a more Kills track title than Hum For Your Buzz?) is still present, and feels increasingly tired.
  6. Mojo
    May 26, 2016
    60
    There's some fight in Hard Habit To Break's elastic boxing-ring bravado, or the ambiguous needling bleep of Doing It To Death, but behind the pair's rangy insouciance lies a hollowness that, this time round, doesn't entirely convince as a deliberate artistic position. [Jul 2016, p.92]
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  7. The A.V. Club
    Jun 3, 2016
    58
    Ash & Ice is an incremental creative step in the right direction for The Kills. But the uneven execution demonstrates once again that the band’s undeniable live chemistry and charisma doesn’t always translate perfectly to its studio work.
  8. Under The Radar
    May 26, 2016
    50
    Certain moments glimmer brighter than others in the murky depths, but the kinetic urgency that hummed under the surface has dissipated and the album mostly just moseys along for 13 tracks. [May - Jun 2016, p.94]
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  9. Consequence
    May 31, 2016
    42
    Ash & Ice lacks cohesive identity. Any record with Mosshart’s vocals and Hince’s guitar will be identifiable as a product of The Kills, but the record both feels inconsistent and as if the songs all blend together.
  10. The 405
    Jun 16, 2016
    40
    There are a few truly memorable riffs, notably on 'Hum for your Buzz' and 'Bitter Fruit', it's just that overall, this music feels that bit too slick to deliver the 'unease' and 'winking ennui' that the record label copy promised.
  11. The Skinny
    May 26, 2016
    40
    While this isn’t a bad album, it does feel like a safe one (which is perhaps even worse).

User Reviews

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User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 31 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. paulo124
    Jun 4, 2016
    10
    Esse é um grande retorno do kills aos estudios,mesclando um som garageiro com batidas eletronicas,o duo certamente agradara aos fãs dosEsse é um grande retorno do kills aos estudios,mesclando um som garageiro com batidas eletronicas,o duo certamente agradara aos fãs dos primeiros 2 discos,dos 2 ultimos e tambem aqueles que esperavam um pouco mais de experimentaçao.… Full Review »
  2. acooper2598
    Jun 3, 2016
    9
    I have just finished Ash and Ice. It has been an album I've been looking forward to for a long time, and it didn't disappoint. The singles,I have just finished Ash and Ice. It has been an album I've been looking forward to for a long time, and it didn't disappoint. The singles, Doing It To Death and Heart of a Dog, were great, and I made a vow that I would listen to the album the day it came out. The Kills have still have a great rock spark in them and that made this album really really good. My personal favourite is Hard Habit To Break, and then Doing It To Death, the single. Overall, a 9, because The Resistance by Muse is my 10, however this is amazing.… Full Review »
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