Iceage - New Brigade (2011) [Dais/Escho] // Grade: A-

An ominous fog has settled over Copenhagen. Born from the ashes of their previous endeavor Sexdrome, a “bedroom” black metal project, the Danish teens in Iceage have released a sonic barrage unlike any other. Their debut album New Brigade is a testament to the inherent primitiveness of humankind. The guitars cut like knives over seemingly endless tribal drumming. The vocals, cold moans from man’s distant past, are slightly reminiscent of the late Ian Curtis (the Joy Division reference was just too easy) although very much a breed of its own.

The album begins with a short intro consisting of machine-like clicking and buzzing echoing through an unseen corridor, this almost immediately transforms into “White Rune” both a distorted pop song and an ancient battle cry. Tropes of Nordic pagan traditionalism contribute to the group’s ironic yet serious edge, not to mention they are a bunch of seventeen year olds. Iceage’s versatility and refusal to be written off as just another punk band is evident through songs like “Broken Bone” that combine catchy dance hooks with blistering no-wave guitar patterns as well as lightning fast numbers such as “Count Me In” that encapsulate their true punk foundations. The album concludes with “You’re Blessed,” a downtuned, depressive anthem that showcases the quartet’s knack for snapping your heartstrings.

Their performances have become fairly infamous among the locals for invoking sporadic fits of violence among audience members as well as for the raw emotion that pours out of them while playing live. Iceage doesn’t rely on overproduced guitar breakdowns or vocals intentionally recorded on a Talkboy to give it that “raw blackened” feel, rather they are one of the darkest bands I’ve ever heard and it all seems so natural. If this is where these kids are starting its hard to imagine New Brigade may be one of the more complex, original, and emotionally honest punk albums in recent years or just 12-songs for you to howl at the moon to.

New Brigade was actually originally released earlier this year via Danish Label Escho. After selling out the first pressing limited to 500 it has been made available again by Dais Records with two bonus tracks. Seriously pick this record up while you still can.

- Casper