Danish post-punk quintet Iceage has traded their usual soot-stained, switchblade-wielding aesthetic for something shockingly close to a grand romantic gesture on ‘For Love of Grace & the Hereafter‘. Elias Rønnenfelt still sings like a man trying to read his poetry while caught in a literal tumble dryer, but the band’s sixth studio album wraps that familiar, chaotic energy in a gorgeous, shape-shifting coat of apocalyptic intimacy…. you know…. like a nuclear green M&M. It turns out that after 18 years of brooding in Copenhagen basements, Iceage have figured out how to slow-dance in a minefield, serving up a sprawling 12-track tango that feels less like a threat and more like a feverish invitation into their brilliantly fucked up world.
The undisputed crown jewel of this collection is “Star,” a track so immediate and brilliant that it practically demands you flip a table in sheer ecstasy before the chorus even hits. Right alongside it, “Match Head Girl” acts as a glorious sonic spark, pairing jagged guitars with a rhythm section that sounds like it’s happily rolling down a flight of stairs in perfect sync. Not to be outdone, “The Weak” cuts through the noise with a beautifully bruised vulnerability, balancing their trademark feral punk attitude with an infectious, staggering melodic groove that only this band could pull off.
When the dust settles, ‘For Love of Grace & the Hereafter‘ stands as a complete masterpiece that proves getting older doesn’t mean Iceage has to lose its sharp edges. They’ve managed to evolve from the terrifying kids you’d avoid at a house party into a wildly creative powerhouse capable of making world-ending anxiety sound like the best night of your life. It is fun, fierce, unexpectedly beautiful, and easily one of the most thrilling rides of the year so far… so go ahead, buy this album, and let the chaos wash over you. Also, side note, hope they come back to Milwaukee again to play a show… I bought a large shirt from them when they played Cactus Club a little while back, and due to some unforeseen weight gain from drinking all the Hamms in the city since that show, I now need an XL. Damn you, beautiful lager from the land of sky blue waters!!
Links of interest:
https://www.instagram.com/iceage/
https://iceage.bandcamp.com/album/for-love-of-grace-the-hereafter