11.03.2011

Iceage and the New Brigade


Back in the midst of Summer, when IceAge (read up by hitting my interview with them back in May) rolled into the Carabar, there were a lot of naysayers shunning their brief, but pummeling 20 odd minute set. Maybe it was the buzz that was rolling behind them, liable to swallow the young Danish punks before they got the chance to head back home. Sure they weren't all that personable on stage, stormed off in an apparent fit, and blasted through their songs without much room to breath and/or acknowledge/fix the sound and/or deal with the technical issues - but that's their speed. I doubt their first whirlwind tour through the states involved much sleep and/or health and/or comfort and/or privacy judging by the way they were received their first NYC show back in June (saw that one too). I helped them haul their gear up two flights of steps and into a crust-punk palace, where no one was having it, but they ended up destroying those Bushwick kids nonetheless.

It's getting time to start listing off the albums of the year -- and I'm revisiting this debut over and over. It's certainly a top 5 record. And anyone who disagrees might just be too old. I firmly believe this record has the same weight as a number of other punk landmarks -- Wire's Pink Flag, the Refused's Shape of Punk to Come, Minor Threat, Discharge, Warsaw -- and any rebellious teen who puts this on will have their minds blown, subsequently scrawling the quartet's logo onto their Trapper Keepers.

All in all they are pretty kind, unassuming dudes. They know how to attack when it matters. Melodies abound atop a great approximation of '10s hardcore. Can't wait to hear what's next.

Here's the band's first video for New Brigade's title track:



Live in Columbus, Ohio. Taped by the infamous Mike Sperry.

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