Review: Ice of Neptune – Shots and Dollars
Style: Alternative rock, progressive rock (Mixed vocals, mostly clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Muse, Arcade Fire, Coheed & Cambria
Country: Italy
Release date: 31 March 2026
You know, a dame with a rod is like a guy with a knitting needle… or, uh, a progressive rock band romanticizing a lawless era of America and squeezin’ a concept album out of it—results may vary.1 Why’re you lookin’ at me all bothered like that, Steve Brodie told me that on a film set in ‘47. Not everyone can deliver an art deco period tragedy like Dream Theater’s Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory! Huh, Ice of Neptune? They tried what? Okay buddy, keep those martini’s dry, I’ll be back quicker than a .38 through a gangster standing in the middle of Cicero. We’ve got a review to write.
As previewed across several pre-release singles, Ice of Neptune teased a full length return five years after their debut Mr. D—a crunchy imagining of World War III told through the eyes of a corporate solipsist—with another rock opera set in ‘30s Chicago where a young gangster recalls his rags-to-riches upbringing. Contrasting the thumping alternative rock displayed in Mr. D, frantic prog metal riffing (“Fading Light”) and electro-drum beat passages (“Run”) promised a more diverse offering this time around. The band itself is an international supergroup, featuring ex members of Italian progressive pop band Kezia and Greek symphonic metallers Forbidden Lore. With a wealth of perspectives in the kitchen, would the creative process cook up a successful heist nabbing a classic?
In terms of technical capability, Ice of Neptune excel at sparking intrigue in sudden bursts of authentic callbacks to ‘20’s swing with modern alternative rock savvy. The opening track “Interrogation” leaps from a four-on-the-floor rolling drum pattern and ascending horn section serenade into funky mellotron swing to suavely build anticipation. Atmospherically, the band are strutting into a campy Broadway performance tapping our toes and snapping fingers; critically, there’s enough immersion to kickstart a 30s gangster story. The eponymous number “Shots and Dollars”, whilst featuring unserious radio narrator vocals, equally captures attention with a brass band riffing whimsical, chromatic trills that strengthen a decently bombastic hook. I’m only let down that these qualities are inconsistently shaken across the runtime, rather than stirred into a smooth output.
The fatal flaw lies in Shots and Dollars’ inability to choose what lane it wants to occupy, inducing pacing issues and tenuous cohesion. The aforementioned “Interrogation”, for example, does a good job setting tone and direction. However, the subsequent “1929”—a flashback to the main character’s impoverished childhood—leads with an amateurish chord progression reminiscent of The Chainsmokers. Any chance at creating emotional weight is undercut by layering millennial house party sensibilities over the lyrical image of a child trying to survive the Great Depression. There is no sin committed by delivering stylistic variety, but there is a pattern where Ice of Neptune veers from the core jazzy theme and wallops the listener with half-baked attempts at Bruno Mars funk pop (“New Bright Star”), Muse worship complete with Matt Bellamy falsetto croons (“Run”), and Nine Ice Kills overacted metalcore mid fry vocals (“Fading Light”). Individually, the songs aren’t terrible—they’re fun even—but when listened to sequentially the album takes on a gimmicky air that’s hard to shake.
Ice of Neptune could still beat the dealer on what really matters in a musical adaptation of America’s ruthless, sharp-dressed underworld: storytelling. A captivating plot can save face where the music fails to match ambition—Rhapsody of Fire’s Triumph or Agony kept their Lord of the Rings-inspired fantasy saga alive with detailed worldbuilding amidst less inspired songwriting.2 Unfortunately, our gangster struggles as contradictions drag his antihero journey to the bottom of Wolf Lake.3 Look no further than “The Script” where the self-proclaimed “kingpin” waxes lyrical on his pleasures in life:
“Shots, screams, terror
The sounds I most love to hear
Faces deformed by fear
The view I love to see …
I don’t improvise”
Juxtapose this with the next track, “Shots and Dollars”, where the initial verse admits “This was not planned / I took a life / I took it by force”, followed by unconvincing lamentation over needing this heist to be a “clean job”. The plot lacks clarity: does he have a handle on crime or not? Does he have an issue taking a life or not? Why do the final four tracks only consist of him running from the scene and committing suicide when “Interrogation” foreshadows that he ultimately gets caught by police? Having to ask these questions is an unnecessary distraction as a listener and regrettably weakens the project.
Ice of Neptune admirably pushed their musicianship into an extravagant sonic space on paper: a gritty conceptual storyline, tangible influences from funk to metalcore weaving intersecting alternative rock passages, and impressive performances from all band members worthy of professional status. In execution, Shots and Dollars reveals itself to be a paper tiger constructed of preventable inconsistencies in its tonal and plotline choices, ultimately missing out on the loot. Landing a rock opera successfully is no easy task; I will give each one a fair shake. However, on this occasion, I have to say goodbye with a kiss on the lips and wish it the best before swimming with the fishes.
Recommended Tracks: “Interrogation”, “Shots and Dollars”, “Sins of Vanity”
You may also like: Jason Bieler And The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra, Kezia, Labÿrinth, Novallo
Final verdict: 3/10
Related links: Facebook | Instagram
Label: Independent
Ice of Neptune is:
– Timoleon Adamopoulos (guitars, keys, production)
– Pierlorenzo Molinari (vocals)
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