I never really played this game but mostly because it was really just nothing like baldurs gate and planescape torment and because Ive read some distasteful reviews on it.

It said that icewind dale is more brutal when it comes to how you make your party. I read somewhere on gamebanshee that if you dont make a party that is gungho on combat, then you are going to have a shitty time. It also says that thieves, bards and even rangers are weak in comparison to fighters. As Ive never really played this game, I dont know what to think.

Personally, I never really cared that much for create a party rpgs. If I want to play one, Ill play avernum. But still I would like to know if this game really is like those reviews said.

Well, it is a more combat oriented game than the BG games, and much more linear with many hard fight being unavoidable, so generally you do need a more "gungho" party.

Thieves are only weak as single class. Fighter/Thieves are extremely strong if you play them right (scouting and backstabbing).

Rangers are excellent, and their Tracking ability makes them fun to play. Cleric/Rangers are even stronger.

Bards may be weak in themselves, being inferior at both fighting and spell casting, but one of their higher level songs makes the game too easy IMO, since it makes the party regenerate health points at quite a rapid pace, making potions and healing spells redundant for anything but first aid.

So is there no way of me just getting through with a fighters type party. 2 fighters, 1 cleric/mage and 1 bard. I was thinking of using my bard as a sniper with crossbows/bows, my 2 fighters would be the slayers of the group wielding heavy weapons with high strength and protecting my other 2. While they are holding the front, my bard and cleric/mage will be the artillery with ranged weapons/spells. I could even use the bard as a backup fighter if need be. Would that not be feasible?

Sure, it's feasible.
But a party with the Thief, Ranger and Druid classes represented will both be more versatile and more fun to play.

Unlike in the other games you create the whole party yourself, so you have far more freedom to build your party which means far more freedom to make the game easier or harder this way. It's assumed that you're able to create a somewhat balanced party.

You don't need an ultra powergaming party to play the game, I recently replayed it with 6 of the pregenerated characters (paladin, cleric, druid, bard, thief, mage) and it worked without any reloads. Cluebooks or game magazine hints also recommended simple parties so it can't be that difficult to play.

Bards are great in IWD with their 6 different bard songs, pure class thieves fight worse than fighter/thief multiclasses just like in the BG games but are still playable and rangers are about as strong as paladins or fighters, the classes are balanced better in IWD than in the other games.

I consider Icewind Dale a far better game than BG2. It doesn't have as many marketing features but it's honest, fair and balanced.

I don't know, i think it makes absolutely no sense to compare them like this. Different games with different goals, both excellent in what they're doing.

Both IWD and IWD2 are solid, combat-oriented IE games, therefore if you don't like RTwP combat or if you're looking for an "immersive story experience" you're probably going to hate these games. I personally only have one problem with them, which is the fact that it's more about getting your party and characters right than being tactical, or rather, you only have to be tactical until you hit level 6 or so. From then on if you didn't mess up your party, the game usually will look like this: cast the best buffs on your melee chars, summon some monsters, use your most powerful arcane spells, wipe the floor, rinse and repeat. The only way to bring some diversity into this is to try to solo the game or to try playing with a smaller party. This is why I actually prefer the second IWD game to the first, as you have more options when it comes to character creation and development.

I figured that Im going to go with a thief character that wields a crossbow and a paladin that wields a longsword and shield. The paladin will be a tank while the thief will be a damage dealer/trap/lock picker. The thief Im going to use will be a powerful character as crossbows if I remember in BG, do a heck of a lot of damage with the right item. I used a similar party in Bg EE.

If I exp farm a little and get this 2 man party high in lvl, will icewind dale 1 be impossible? I will likely roll the best stats and so just want an honest opinion. Thanks.

Won't be impossible, but I wouldn't go with a pure thief. I'd suggest either a Human dual classed to/from Thief at some point, or a demi-human Fighter/Thief. I don't know if crossbows are that great a choice either. I can't recall for certain but I don't think there are many really good ones. You're better off with longbows I think (which means you need to dual or multi or you'll be stuck with only short bows and they're few and far between).

With that party, I'd also make sure you make use of the Thief's Back Stab ability. It will be tricky getting him out to safety once his cover is blown, but that's what boots of speed and potions/rings of invisibility are for, and you can really do some stellar damage with a higher level Thief and a back stab.