Beyond the blazing fast drums, aggressive guitars and piercing vocals that have made West Coast punk an against-the-grain entity is the adoption of an anti-authority, do-it-yourself attitude that embraces individuality.
Following the pioneering nature of the hardcore punk band Black Flag, modern punk music has often sought to unleash the same passion, but has lost its musicality. The Danish band Iceage, however, has not only latched on to this West Coast punk influence, but has driven this force further without losing musicianship or high energy.
Bands like Black Flag and Iceage do not make music for the money, nor for the fame. True punk music has always been the music of the underprivileged, taking a stand or creating a controversy for the sake of magnifying issues so the general public can see them. The shock value may stun the listener, but it successfully captivates the audience and allows them to discover what is often hidden.
In the Los Angeles County coastal town of Hermosa Beach, Greg Ginn and Henry Rollins of Black Flag brought a punk rock revolution to the rest of the world. They created the West Coast punk sound with heavy metal and jazz-influenced guitars with the rough, energetic vocals of early British punk, Black Flag created a refreshing style of music that is meant to be anything but.
From the band’s 1981 debut album “Damaged” arose the anthem “Rise Above,” which would cement Black Flag as the seminal West Coast punk band. From the onset, the drums draw the listener in with their swift pace, one that almost manages to swing the beat. Ginn’s raw electric guitar is forceful as it slides up the neck at the beginning, but his guitar solo later in the song adopts a blues style before descending into mayhem.
What makes “Rise Above” the punk enigma it has become lies in the band’s ability to draw from non-punk influences like heavy metal and free jazz, melding their tonal qualities to build a masterpiece of punk expressionism. Every moment of songs such as “Thirsty and Miserable,” “Depression” and “My War,” from the vocals to the guitars, take a shot at the social norms of American music.
Ever-present on the track are crashing drums, a signature of punk music. Iceage’s guitars, however, continue the similar playing style of breakneck speed with jazz influences that Ginn helped to create. While the bass jumps octaves, the electric guitar shreds through the chorus with blistering precision. Iceage’s instrumentation has shown the potential to deliberately fashion hardcore punk into more than just the sound, but the energy it holds.
This is what Iceage has begun to accomplish with its blending of West Coast punk, post-punk and gothic rock. Songs from the new record, including “Coalition” and “Ecstasy,” establish the band’s use of these influences to create a style of punk that is free to roam instead of rigidly bound.
To be truly against-the-grain, as both of these acts are, is not to mimic one another, but to build on the reasons why the genre was created in the first place. Through music that harnesses the anger and frustration of youth culture, the genre of punk will continue to adapt and be a driving force of against-the-grain attitudes, no matter the direction the punk movement takes in the future.
Email Hornbostel at bhornbostel@media.ucla.edu.