Ultra-cool art-punk that rattles like a derailed train.
For 15 years now, the great Danish talents of the emotionally charged intensive band Iceage have been releasing one highly praised top album after the other – and over the course of their career have developed from annoying noise youngsters into a glorious rock band. With their sixth work FOR LOVE OF GRACE & THE HEREAFTER, Iceage present their most accessible album to date. The opener “Ember” is easy to like with its unexpected yet organic song structure: the guitars smack and snarl like a derailed train, while frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt lets off steam while dancing and lets it all work out in the chorus.
This brings us to the record’s greatest strength: As unusual as these rock songs may be – for example when “Salve For Every Sore” combines bluegrass and post-punk or the bottleneck riff in the closer “True Blue” almost always sounds off – in the end they always want to be sung along to. First and foremost, this (yet deadly serious) album is fun – also because it refers to the tried and tested, in an even more original way than its predecessor SEEK SHELTER (2021).
Small grooves à la Talking Heads appear as well as the riotous highlight “The Weak”, which is largely based on a classic blues scheme and still seems fresh. Because ultimately it’s the songs that count – and on FOR LOVE OF GRACE & THE HEREAFTER they are always very, very good. There are also simple truths on every corner: “Life is for the weak,” they say loudly. To sing along.
