The words “Ice Age” means something different for everyone. If you’re some sort of paleontologist dweeb, it means sabertooth tigers and uncovering ancient sticks our primitive ancestors used to scrape the ice off their Pontiac Azteks. If you’re a child of the aughts, Ice Age was all about Sid the sloth and the rest of those fuckers. However, if you’re unemployed and woefully depressed like us, Iceage is a band of Danish post punkers, notable for the contradiction between frontman Elias Rønnenfelt’s rambling vocal delivery and his poetic lyrics. So sit down and take a journey with us as we rank every album by Iceage, because let’s face it, it’s not like you have any other responsibilities to attend to.
5. New Brigade (2011)
It’s their debut, and well. It’s definitely a debut. It’s by no means a bad album, in fact we’d say it’s a great album. It sets the band’s sound going forward with their raw and fervent instrumentation. But, by pure comparison to the rest of their discography alone, the lyrics on this record feel a bit lackluster. Having said that, these Danish teenagers still outclassed most American songwriters on this album with their grasp of the English language. So for that, +1 to the Danish school system.
Play it again: “Broken Bone”
Skip it: “Collapse,” due to the incessant and ear piercing lead guitar riff
4. Beyondless (2018)
Look, we might get shit on for this placement as this album has the band’s biggest hit in “Pain Killer,” which features Sky Ferreira. If anything, this number 4 spot just proves Iceage is an incredible band with no bad albums, so mull that over before telling us to go throw ourselves underneath a frozen lake, they can’t all be ranked #1 ok? On “Beyondless,” the band seems a bit more playful, both with the instrumentation and vocal styling, with the addition of some solid brass. It’s just a matter of taste and unfortunately, we’re sadistic and depressed, which means we prefer the band’s somber work over this album in particular
Play it again: “Catch It,” “Beyondless”
Skip it: “Thieves Like Us”
3. You’re Nothing (2013)
We don’t know what happened in the two years between this album and their debut record, but it’s clear Iceage leveled up. Maybe it was something in the Copenhagen water or maybe it was the simple fact that the band were no longer teenagers. The lyrics on tracks like “Ecstasy” paint a vivid depiction of isolation and helplessness that comes with it while Rønnenfelt drops a Nietzche reference on the song “Everything Drifts.” With lyrics that showcase their flair for literature and philosophy, coupled with the increasingly harsher noise and post-punk elements of their sound, Iceage delivered an excellent sophomore album.
Play it again: “Everything Drifts,” “Coalition”
Skip it: “Interlude,” like most interludes, somewhat unnecessary
2. Seek Shelter (2021)
The band’s most recent studio endeavor where the band seems to have solidly encapsulated the sounds of their prior albums while maintaining a sense of novelty. The usual suspects are all here, the dense driving guitars, the slight bits of sparse piano parts on a ballad like “Love Kills Slowly,” and the poetic lyrics that even Genius.com has yet to fully derive meaning from. I’m sure we can figure it out, but that’s too much effort and we’d much rather be willfully ignorant and just nod our heads along to the music.
Play it again: “Seek Shelter,” “Vendetta,” “The Wider Powder Blue”
Skip it: “The Holding Hand”
1. Plowing Into the Field of Love (2014)
Now as much as we’d like to avoid using the word “drunken” to describe Rønnenfelt’s vocals, there’s no way around it. Just listening to this album can raise your blood alcohol content levels by .1%. Even our straight edge friend got a DUI after being pulled over while listening to this album. But, this is peak Iceage, with the trademark brooding and harsh guitars with the added contribution of bright piano riffs as heard in tracks like “On My Fingers” and “Against the Moon.” There’s even a country cut in “The Lord’s Favorite,” which almost fools you into believing the band is from Appalachia. Plus, Rønnenfelt contributes with some of his most poignant and heartfelt lyrics ever. All in all, this is a must-listen in the post-punk genre.
Play it again: All 47 minutes and 54 seconds of the album
Skip it: If you’re really a prude, you can skip “Cimmerian Shade” to move past the breathy moans throughout this track.