Iceage - You're Nothing

Iceage - Morals

Piano? Punk bridge? It can be done - and how!

Ok, first impression I got from this was that it was tuneless wailing over over-fuzzed punk instrumentals, you know, the vibe you get from bands who you don’t believe have a fucking clue what they’re doing. Then I got about 8 minutes into the album and it began blowing my mind.

There’s a stack of catchy, well written songs here with intense drumming and unique riffwork. The vocals are rarely in tune which ends up complementing most of the songs in its own weird style, kind of in the same way that hardcore punk vocals help the music out by being its own instrument. You don’t believe me – and it’s hard to explain, but it works. Like maple syrup and bacon (kinda sorta). There’s a real energy to it that’s signature of punk rock but the sound divorces itself from the normal groundwork by the unconventional use of the fuzzed out guitar and the weird wailing, and this is where it’s strength lies. It’s got a strong feel of originality to it, and it doesn’t allow itself to stagnate and become repetitive.

They’re also clever enough to mix a couple of different styles into the album as well. The track - Awake has a rock and roll bridging riff near to the end, Ecstasy has it’s own mix of noise-rock instrument work with snappy drums and Morals, my personal favourite track, mixes a piano build-up with a furious punk chorus.

Honestly a lot of people are dissing on it because some of the guitar is indecipherable at stages. This is a great album for noise-rock enthusiasts and indie punks alike. Give it a go. Three or four tracks in and I promise you’ll love it.

P.s.

So once again, this is an old review I failed to publish earlier. What I'd like to say is that I still give this album a spin, if only for Morals. there's some decent stuff here, but Morals is just a standout.