the iceburn collective

Fuck avant garde. I urgently feel the need to write something down on one of my favorite bands ever, totally underrated and neglected throughout their struggles in the middle of a hardcore crowd, breaking down musical barriers and fucking up the Victory Records roster formerly known as Iceburn or The Iceburn Collective realming popularity with their first full length "firon" on Victory Records in which they still handled an own hardcore/punk sound from post hardcore to plain hardcore and metal with a weird twist inbetween. Definitely the best record to start out with, if you're down for a total progressive Iceburn experience. Things start to get more intense with their first record Hephaestus on Revelation Records in 1994. Taking inspiration from Greek mytology and dividing up the record into four different parts. People you nee dto score down the vinyl version of this record to experience the real deal. This is the first record where things are about to get more weirder, progressive and experimental. Blending down the best elements of noise hardcore with atonal jazz and sludge elements. Progressive as fuck, 70 minutes of evocative creativity. I mean shit...this record got released inbetween records such as Into Another and Mike Judge's country record. A time where Revelation Records took a huge step forward.



1994 being a productive year with their split side with Engine Kid and moving things further on the free jazz side with Poetry Of Fire . Starting out with some ambientesque landscapes bursting out that certain distinct Iceburn sound. Inbetween the jazz influence is taking its heights here and as the year is 1995 when this one came out I still get my thrills on poem of fire, even the live recording cause in the end they still handled that awesome mid nineties post hardcore sound mixed with dizzling saxophones, throughout their creative and progressive attitude. Poem Of Fire is an awesome powerful song.

1996 brings us The Iceburn Collective, however I only heard from them the first time around 1997 through an ordinary In-Flight Revelation Records sampler with the song Spinx which takes up a merely 22 minutes from your life. They were the only band that actually stood out inbetween all the hardcore, taking things differently. Punk. Meditavolutions is probably next to their extensive discography, their most essential record. Really, this record is amazing and opens hardcore/punk gates into bright psychedelic landscapes with a meditative feel. Get this!

The reason I needed to write about Iceburn is because they were one of the bands that got me out there opening horizons and getting down with experimental music, they always handled a punk attitude throughout their music and mind and definitely made a difference. Surprisingly I discovered that some Italian label released a split 10" last year with some of their last recordings ever made live recorded in 2001 after they deformed into The Iceburn Collective Double Trio. So surprise surprise, cause 2006 actually brought something new, a split 10" with Zu.

The true story behind these never released before, last recordings, they were intended to come out as part of a special 7" series on Souther Lord Records. In need to get this.

There is alot more stuff to get, and to score down by Iceburn. A band that broke barriers and still can be considered as amongst the best bands ever. So if you think you have a decent taste in music and have missed out on Iceburn. The time is now, this band needs some re-appreciation. Definitely. One love.

some sort of discography:
1. Burn/Fall 7"
2. Firon
3. Hepheastus
4. Danses split with Engine Kid
5. Moon/Brew 7"
6. Poetry of Fire
7. Meditavolutions - the palindromic center
8. Polar Bear Suite
9. Leos 12"
10. Power of the Lion
11. Speed of Light Voice of Thunder
12. Land of Wind and Ghosts
13. Odin's Beard split 10" w/Zu