Biography

One of the more obscure but artistically striking branches of the Current 93/Nurse With Wound musical tree, Fire and Ice revolves around the central figure of U.K. born and raised Ian Read. With an overt expression of lyrical themes revolving around Nordic pagan mythology and attendant musical forms, Fire and Ice's work has at points come under criticism for perceived right-wing extremist links and themes, while the band's supporters just as strongly vouch for the music's interest in and of itself. However one chooses to take it, Fire and Ice has created some striking work, eschewing the cozier definitions of folk for a more self-consciously antique and mysterious edge, tinged with the neo-psych exploratory styles the World Serpent label and associates are well associated with. Read's initial musical work was with Current 93 via a vocal contribution on 1986's Swastikas for Noddy album, but he first came to greater attention via his collaboration with Tony Wakeford, Sol Invictus. After a series of releases and performances under that name, Read left to pursue his own interests more thoroughly, founding Fire and Ice in the early '90s. Since then Read has regularly released a number of albums and singles on a variety of labels, normally his own Fremdheit company in association with other like-minded spirits, while his musical collaborators include performers from bands such as Death in June. Read himself became known for an irregular series of live appearances, sometimes solo and sometimes with a fuller lineup, at various spots around the globe, including a variety of pagan ceremonies and rites. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi