HEAVY GLORY by ELIAS RØNNENFELT

Gatefold with Lyrics, Black 180 g Vinyl.

Elias Rønnenfelt is a musician and poet best known as the lead singer and lyricist of Iceage. Heavy Glory is his debut solo album. Out October 25th via Escho. Heavy Glory was recorded in Copenhagen in chapters and moments over the course of a year. Collaborators include Iceage's Dan Kjær Nielsen, Danish punk godfather Peter Peter, and singers Joanne Robertson (Elias and Joanne have collaborated before, on a number of recent Dean Blunt releases) and Fauzia. "I've done this so many times," Rønnenfelt explains, speaking of the process of crafting a long player, "but capturing and crystallising an album remains a singular ritual, just with different circumstances. We are capturing something that is hard to hold down." Heavy Glory is a record that examines all the things that lovers do, from the most desperate to the most pure. The lover haunts the record, reappearing and provoking Rønnenfelt, pulling him in and pushing him away. Songs like "Close" describe the line between jealousy and protectiveness. "Unarmed" is a song of surrender. "River of Madeleine" harnesses toughness in the name of preservation, staying up all night to protect his lover's dreams. "Stalker" is an epic third-person story song in the tradition of the murder ballad. The record closes with two covers. The first, Spacemen 3's "Sound of Confusion," is a mission statement of the life Rønnenfelt has found and inherited in music. "Here it comes," the song famously promises, and flares out into noise. It is a joyful noise, because this life, in all its grit, is the life he chose. The second, Townes Van Zandt's "No Place to Fall," is a sweet plea, Rønnenfelt's final invitation to join him on his journey. This journey - this story, this record - will repeat and continue. It never stops.

Rønnenfelt's life as an artist results in a sound that wobbles and rocks but never loses its centre, both fragile and tough, and always moving forward. It is dreamy yet bombastic, held together by the passion of certainty. Co-produced by Rønnenfelt and Nis Bysted.

“The tracks vary from primitive guitar country ballads, infused with the Scott Walker or Arthur Russell-like coarse baritones that are typical of his to softer and mellower hymns that ambiguously walk over the edge between grunge gothic and medieval gothic. “[Heavy Glory] seems to triumphantly conclude Rønnenfelt’ conversion from godless hardcore to gnostic americana.”— Aquarium Drunkard, “2024 Year In Review

“[Heavy Glory is] a bewildering, country-rock tour-de-force evoking titanic acts like Nick Cave, Van Morrison, Townes Van Zandt, and Spacemen 3” , [Heavy Glory] opens up new depths in both his lyrics and songcraft” - Pitchfork

“Heavy Glory is one of those perfect‘frontman-goes-solo’ albums. It takes elements from the artist’s previous band work and expands them to exciting new places. It makes you hope this is just the first of many, kicking off this next phase of his career. — New Noise, “Best Albums of 2024: Traster’s Picks”

“Rønnenfelt knows how to grab staggering, spell-like concepts and spin them into eerie, hallowed tales. Over a teetering piano and sputtering guitars, he approaches the songs on Heavy Glory with an avant-garde and gauche take on nu-Americana.”- Paste