Review: Iceage - You're Nothing

Physical releases of Iceage's 2011 debut New Brigade were somewhat sort of a puzzle. Initially picked up by Danish label Tambourhinoceros and Escho, Iceage released an extremely limited number of vinyl in Denmark. Later, when signed to Dias Records in the US, they then released 500 numbered copies of the album with two bonus tracks. Finally, when signed to What's Your Rupture? for international release, more copies of the album were pressed. When finding a copy of You're Nothing on vinyl, you are never quite sure what it is you're going to get.

Listening to You're Nothing, or even any of Iceage's work for that matter, you automatically know that these kids aren't playing any games and are making music wise beyond their years. The dramatic and quite noticable change in style from 2011's New Brigade to You're Nothing will slap you in the face and leave you speechless. Never in an album have I heard such a breathtaking and bold dash of maturity and change in style. The walls of noise and abrasive metal-picking that inhabited the thrashed-out songs of New Brigade are nowhere to be found now, and the guys are making the most beautifully destructive and meticulously crafted apocalyptic punk songs of their career, and of the modern post-punk music genre. While on You're Nothing, the influences seem more obvious. Opener Ecstasy, Iceage slows the tempo down and we can clearly see a Joy Division song could very well sprout somewhere in it, and any of the songs opening with a nasty, fat bassline, your favorite Black Flag song may immediately come to mind. Although through all of the influences, Iceage still seems to have a vice grip of where they stand, musically and socially.

In a recent interview with Pitchfork, frontman Elias Ronnenfelt says, "We were interested in throwing ourselves more out there and not afraid to appear vulnerable." the emotion in Elias' vocals across the entire album takes more of a standout role in volume as well as emotion. With lyrics such as, "Am I supposed to give into anything?" Iceage somehow appears vulnerable, while at the same time putting up the same bloody fists in defense that kept them so concealed in the fight during New Brigade.

So think of Iceage's many influences on You're Nothing to the many copies of New Brigade that are pressed on vinyl that are floating around in the world: you never quite know what you're going to get. But however many labels pressed this album, or however many bands may have influenced Iceage's sound, the artist you're always going to be hearing is Iceage. Judging by the take-no-prisoners sound, your opinion on them doesn't seem to matter to them. At all.

9/10