Iceage - "Beyondless"

Iceage is a Post-Punk and Art-Punk band from Copenhagen, Denmark, and in case you didn't know one of my favorite artists of the last few years.  Hearing their 2011 debut "New Brigade" was pretty unbelievable and stunning.  This was a grimy, angry and undeniably noisy Post-Punk album.  But there were plenty of elements of Hardcore Punk and Gothic rock.  Iceage on this album seemed to be literally attacking from all angles.  There was no room to breathe, just one pummeling track after another.   Not to mention, from the opening notes it was clear that Elias Bender Rønnenfelt had quickly become one of the most dynamic and commanding frontmen in Punk.  Iceage returned in 2013 with "You're Nothing".  Now, by this point, their sound has cleaned up rather nicely, and they no longer sounded like they recorded these tracks in a garage somewhere.  The result is even heavier, more chaotic, more aggressive and even more brilliant.  Tracks like "Ecstasy" and "Burning Hand" serve up something for the heavier crowd.  But tracks like "In Haze" sort of hint towards Iceage being up to something, about to drop something bigger and better than ever.  And if you know anything about Iceage, that's exactly what they did in 2014 with "Plowing Into the Field of Love".  Not only is this one of the most exciting and truly wild Rock albums of the last decade, but easily one of my all-time favorite albums.  Here, Iceage has ditched the Hardcore Riffs and the straightforward song structures, and in return traded them in for lavish yet genuinely intense Art Rock and Art Punk.  Tracks like "Let It Vanish", "Simony" and my personal favorite "The Lord's Favorite" brought that same Gothic-tinged Punk energy the boys had worked with for years.  But the sheer intensity of tracks like "How Many", the daring experimentation of tracks like "Abundant Living" and the wildly emotional performances on tracks like "Against The Moon" made this album a must listen.  I've waited 4 long years for this album.  And from the sound of these singles, Elias and the boys are back with some of their most cutting and visceral tunes yet, and that's saying something. Let's talk.

(A personal favorite of mine!)

    This album starts off with “Hurrah”, and right off the bat this steamy, mysterious atmosphere is to die for.  And then we get this absolutely cutting riff blasting through it all, making for a very intense track, to say the least.  But there’s such a sense of mystery to all of this, the thumping bass, and as always the very passionate performance of Elias.  This is one hell of an intro and shows that Iceage hasn’t left any of their visceral styles in the past.  If the last album was maybe a little too light for you, and you want to hear Iceage getting a little more aggressive (while still remaining artsy), “Hurrah’ is going to put a big devilish smile on your face.  It’s intense, cutting, visceral, and ushers in Iceage in the most triumphant way imaginable.  But the fact that this is the same band we met years ago with so much anger and Gothic roots, and how much fuller they sound now, it’s incredible.  Then we have “Pain Killer”, which the first time I heard I was absolutely blown away.  This is easily the most triumphant and exciting Iceage we’ve heard since “The Lord’s Favorite”.  While it’s upbeat and peppy, even catchy, this is still a very emotional and heart-wrenching tune.  Elias doesn’t just sing, he performs, and he leaves it all on the table.  That, combined with the driving rhythms and classy horns, as well as a truly tasteful feature from Sky Ferreira makes for an incredible tune.  “Pain Killer” is off its hinges completely.  No, it’s ripped the hinges off altogether for that matter.  Then we have “Under the Sun”, and on the other hand, this one is so much slower paced and low-key.  And yes, if you’re a fan of Elias’s side project Marching Church you’re absolutely going to see some influence here.  Especially when it comes to that dark, sort of Western vibe.  Bur for a slow-burning Rock tune, there are few modern bands that I trust more than Iceage.  Elias’s performance on this track is one of his most gripping, exhausted performances yet.  It just reaches inside of you, rips out your heart and tears it to shreds completely.  There’s so much emotion in this one, and I love the very grim and cutting lyrics here.  Not to mention, there are so many great little details in the instrumental, from that completely freakish violin which seems like it’s getting more unhinged as this track goes on, to those unbelievably well-paced drums.  The versatility of Iceage is absolutely staggering.  Then we have “The Day the Music Dies”, which is a completely different animal.  This one is a little slower, but it has this slick groove and aggressive riffs.  This track is incredibly hard to place, between this off-kilter riff and the once again very classy horn section.  Overall, this track is another serious home run.  Elias continues to sound so gripping in his performances, they’re always just so gripping.  The intensity is ridiculous as he rants and ends up leading to one of the most memorable choruses here.  Not to mention, “The Day the Music Dies” is so hypnotic.  And while it takes a little longer to grow on you, is just another incredible track. 

    Up next we get “Plead the Fifth”, and the atmosphere of this album continues to be an absolute home run.  There is just so much mystery to Iceage, even though time and time again they leave EVERYTHING on the table.  The pacing on this one is incredible, and ends up making this sort of playful rhythm and makes you question it all.  Sure, on paper this one sounds like one of the lighter tunes here, anyone can say that.  But between these freakish pianos and Elias’s practically drunken screaming, there isn’t anything about this track that I’m not obsessing over.  But with all of these left-field elements coming together, Iceage keep it incredibly classy and most of all, catchy.  Then we have “Catch It”, which doesn’t give you a single second.  It’s still not as throttling or as intense as their early work.  But this one immediately reminds us just how cinematic Iceage can be.  Once again, if you’re a fan of Marching Church you’re going to eat this up.  But even if you’re not, this track is incredibly gripping.  The instrumentals once again bring us into this sort of dark, dystopian Western atmosphere.  Which yes, is made all the more strange when you take into consideration that Iceage are Danish.  But to be honest, more often than not it comes off super authentic.  Elias’s performance once again is just so damn visceral, so unbelievably emotional.  And yes, this one is yet again a real slow-burner.  But this entire album is fueled by it, and they are good.  And for anyone who wants to hear Iceage absolutely freak out, you’ll be pleased to hear that the last minute of “Catch It” is just that, and it’s beautiful.  Then we have “Thieves Like Us”, which does take the sort of Western feel and gives it a different twist.  This one has a sort of broke down, Ragtime feel.  And it’s alright, but if I had to choose one track here to ditch it would certainly be this one.  But that being said, I still enjoy elements of this, like Elias’s very tortured performance and the tight playing.  But I just can’t shake that “Thieves Like Us” just seems underwritten.  But “Take It All” gets this album rolling again quickly.  I love just how mesmeric the guitar tones are here, and there is just so much tension in the first 30 seconds or so.  This one is a bit transitional, and I almost feel like I wouldn’t be surprised if this track started out as an interlude of sorts.  But hey, this works really well for that.  Elias, as this album goes on sounds more and more exhausted.  But “Take It All” has this shimmering feel to it all that’s totally different from the gloom and doom of early tunes.  It’s not fun, far from it, and I would have liked it to be a little longer.  But it certainly fulfills its purpose.

  

    But if you want to all about a truly mysterious, gritty, and ethereal track, look no further than this one.  Once again, there’s such a fantastic pacing to this track, which is made even cooler by that saxophone that was ripped kicking and screaming out of the world of David Lynch.  Iceage however, keeps their cool completely and end up embodying this sound.  It’s sleek, and Elias almost comes off sexy in his performance.  And while this is the true definition of a slow jam, I can’t get enough of it.  Hell, I want to hear more tracks like this.  Incorporate more horns, get even artsier, it’s doing nothing but amazing things.  Even that sort of oddball verse here where everything gets a little loopy is totally welcome.  It’s clear, Iceage is one of the most versatile and dangerous Rock Bands in the world.  And just when you think Iceage have given us everything, they roll out “Beyondless”.  This track is an absolute monster, with layer upon layer of intense, brutal instrumentals.  There are your usual Iceage instrumentals, like the intense drums and ruthless guitars.  But there’s also some off percussion, bluesy saxophones, and seriously wild violins.  All of that, constantly mauling you, all while Elias is offering up even more of his tortured vocals.  It’s a perfect ending to a near-perfect album. 

Rating: 9.0/10

Give A Listen To: “Hurrah”, “Pain Killer”, “Catch It”, “Showtime”,

Genre: Art Punk / Post Punk / Art Rock / Gothic Rock  

Overall Thoughts:  Iceage took nearly 4 years recording this album, but it may just be their best.  After their last album, "Plowing Into The Field of Love", I thought that Iceage had reached their artistic peak.  But with this album, they've made the performances even more emotional, the atmosphere's even more intense, and are working with catchier material than ever.  Elias Bender Rønnenfelt has never sounded so diabolical, and the band supporting him have never sounded more succinct.  There are Gothic elements as well as a few nods to their early Post-Punk explosion.  But if this album proves one thing, it's that Iceage is the most daring and fearless, and absolutely most dangerous Punk band on the planet.  This isn't an easily digestible listen by any means, but it's the most must-listen album I've heard in months.