Beyondless

Where 2014’s ‘Plowing Into The Field Of Love’ subtly introduced brass and piano to the likes of the downcast drama of ‘Glassy Eyed, Dormant and Veiled’, their latest puts those ideas of instrumentation front and centre.

Iceage may no longer have the freewheeling energy of youth but something as good, if not better, has replaced it. For a band that once looked liable to self-destruct, it is incredible how gracefully they've matured.

More than any other album ... Beyondless puts the hooks front and center, even allowing for radiant shafts of light to grace the corners of their pits of misery.

In their time away, Iceage have grown highly evolved – and a little more sensual.

With their prior work, Iceage have proven themselves worthy rock and roll purveyors. What follows on Beyondless, are the combined senses of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Beyondless is an ambitious and accomplished ride that will claim a deserved spot on most Best-Of lists this year. Wrap up warm: the ice age has arrived.

The group hasn’t abandoned its post-punk, just refined it.

‘Beyondless’ sees Iceage hint at giving in to a commercially mature wind of change, the notion of which hopefully hasn’t made too many fans avert their eyes and ears.

Where their old material kept arrangements lean and tones caustic, Beyondless bursts with energy and swagger. It's easily the quartet's most broadly appealing effort, although that accessibility sometimes obscures their core strengths.

Over its ten tracks, the band have impressively distilled what worked before and elevated it to a new level of complexity, following a course not too dissimilar to their post-punk heroes. A little more tonal variety along the way could help break up a slight sense of dirge fatigue, but it's a small gripe for an album that repeatedly hits its mark.

Iceage dials down the abrasiveness and theatricality on the still pretty solid Beyondless.

From the mournful saxophone that adds a keening, ominous introduction before the punchy riff and bassline of “Hurrah,” this is an album that ducks expectation and finds ways to insert surprises into even its most straightforward tracks.

Iceage strive for epic sweep, without losing all the conflicts inherent in fragile humanity.

Iceage are plenty capable as musicians, and Rønnenfelt clearly has a lot to say as the frontman. But his diatribes would be more palatable with a little sweetener—after all, a refrain that sticks in your head seems more effective than lyrics that just hammer at your skull.