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ICARUS LINE

BRAND NEW album from legendary LA firestarters, The Icarus Line. Their third full length release for Agitated (their eigth album in total), following on from their imperious return to the fray in 2013 with the much lauded release of 'Slave Vows', followed up by its companion "album release" 'Avowed Slavery' in 2014.

Recorded and arranged live as a group in Cardamone's studio, Valley Recording Company in Burbank, the sessions "were very private and conducive to conjuring," the frontman describes. "If you are lucky, you can capture something before it dies. I feel like all great music is a fleeting inspiration. You only have so much time to capture it before it either turns into routine or it turns its back on you."

The album features a guest appearance from legendary outsider artist Joe Coleman who helped coin the album title. Also appearing is Bad Seed / Grinderman/ Dirty Three band leader Warren Ellis who helped pen the track "Bedlam Blue" with Cardamone.

Art work for All Things Under Heaven was found during the making of the record. Veteran news photographer Randy Taylor was receiving attention for some works of his that were created out of destruction. During the Sandy hurricane his archive was flooded and many of his photos were "destroyed". The pictures that would make up the record's sleeve were simply a document of a 4th of July cookout but after the waters of Sandy they became the american dream in a car crash with mother nature. The perfect visual to compliment a document about a melted american dream.

All Things Under Heaven packs the kind of swagger, raunch & ascent that would make Iggy Stooge and Sun Ra proud parents. It is a record that expands the vocabulary of what rock music can be without sacrificing the critical spirit that makes it Rock N Roll. The Icarus Line have summoned up the demons from the past, paid their homage and taken the sound in an entirely new direction; because this band are never ones to be caught on their knees. The album is a sprawling sonic landscape that has a timeless quality about it as it traverses between low valleys, towering skyscrapers and all the dirty alleyways that connect them. It's a record that's as sprawling as the city of Los Angeles to which The Icarus Line have always called home. It's a fuck you to the bite size society that has become music consumption. Life is bigger than that. And just like LA, this is a record that from the opening hollow echo swallowed pounding drums of "Ride Or Die" to the final free jazz funeral lullaby of "Sleep Now" is all its own world.

The Icarus Line have been deep in the rock 'n' roll trenches since their debut album Mono in the late 90s, yet sound more significant now than ever. Over the years The Icarus Line have proved to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable live bands around, again and again. Their performances are explosive, dangerous and sexy all at the same time.

"Joe Cardamone slanks in a room like some sick fuck who actually knows how to live on the street, instead of pretending that he still does," writes Permanent Midnight author Jerry Stahl. "Walking down Vulnerable Hardass Ave " the one where OG rock'n'rollers, the early eat-their-arms screamers and bar walkers that paved the way for posers and haircuts to come, first started screaming out the truth that was eating them alive."

For fans of all music styles American Primitive: Ayler, Patton, Howlin Wolf, Gira, Velvet Underground, Funkadelic, Sun Ra, The Psychedelic Stooges, Black Flag, Charlie Feathers, Tony Conrad.


STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: As brash as ever, The Icarus Line return to the fore with this, their latest outing since 2013. All Things Under Heaven sees the band in a more grungy, punk-influenced mood. Snarling vocals, and screaming call-to-arms refrains atop driving distortion and thumbing kick drums. Never likely to be accused of being boring, this is a new direction from a band that can do no wrong. A Political noise-punk statement, and a righteous performance from one of the greatest post-hardcore bands of all time.

TRACK LISTING

RIDE OR DIE
TOTAL PANDEMONIUM
EL SERENO
ALL THINGS UNDER HEAVEN (featuring Joe Coleman)
LITTLE HORN
MILLENIAL PRAYER
INCINERATOR BLUE
MIRROR
BEDLAM BLUE (featuring Warren Ellis)
SOLAR PLEXUS
I DON'T WANNA STAY
SLEEP NOW

Hey, this aint no “follow up” number, this is a the other arm getting a shot; this is the Slave Vows era of the Icarus Line getting its I’s dotted. A sort of finality at play here, “Avowed Slavery” is the companion release to 2013’s well received SLAVE VOWS album, this completes the circle of fury.

With the video release of “City Job” at the end of 2013, and the Slave Vows album still making people talk, it was time to put these songs to wax, prepare the world for The Icarus Line's next move. Five tracks spread over the two sides, this mini album serves as aSlave Vows booster jab, the feral verocity of the last album is in spades here, maybe even more so, the fire in the band’s belly is roaring, and its only when the last track closes down do you realise quite fully, the impact.

Reference points take in a whole gamut of genres, styles, sounds, stances…… Cardamone leads the gang once more into the rough, the desecrated warzone that is the music industry, american culture and love , they (Cardamone, Hallet, De Guzman, Arnao) create their brand of “hellfire and brimstone” rock and roll…

Leeches and Seeds is a frenetic blast of noise with Hallets drums threatening to collapse your ears, driving you into live favourite Junkadelic. The bastard offspring of Clinton and Bargeld this grooves and slithers, winding its earworm abilities into your whole shuddering psyche…..

Raise Yer Crown closes off side one, with their LA swagger back in full effect, thump and grind from the Icarus Line, this is Los Angeles NOW…

Side two opens with the long awaited studio version of other live fave “Salem Slims”, first aired on the Killing Joke support tour in 2012, this fearless headrush is so adamantly an Icarus Line song, that theres no other comparison, howling stoogian vocal, building-destroying rhythms, shards of guitar gloss stunning all within range, this headrush of almost-insanity then moves into the last track, “The Father,. The Priest” , is this the calm after the storm, is this the comedown, is this the penance for the passion? Or is this the Vows era Icarus Line laying down tools to prepare for the next go?

Listen at full blast
- Joe Cardamone

Brand new album from LA hellions, the Icarus Line, is quite possibly their best album yet. Harking back to the fury of Mono, the fire of Pennance Soiree and dragging the swagger out of the Black Lives / Wild Life albums, "Slave Vows" is quite simply a fearsome vitriolic rock and roll outpouring that starts, and never lets up for every 45 minutes of Stoogian styled glory.

Evoking Funhouse, Everything Went Black, Goats Head Soup and Maggotbrain in one fell swoop, it could be said that the Icarus Line have finally made the album they set out on making in 2001... this is not for the fainthearted! Some of these songs were blooded on their support slot with Killing Joke on their European tour in 2012, this album also features the best rhythm section the band have had (new drummer Ben Hallett and original bassist Lance Arnao completely NAIL IT!), underpinning the white hot guitar flow from singer/leader Joe Cardamone, the songs..ebb, and flow, slash and burn...cauterizing any that stand in their way.

This is pure rock and roll hellfire distilled onto vinyl and CD.

Icarus Line

Live In London

    THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

    The Icarus Line, a proper rock and roll gang, led by the fearsome Joe Cardamone, toured the UK in October 2011 in support of their Wildlife album. With stand in drummer Sammy as their drummer quit just before boarding the plane!! they slammed it, this was feral rock and roll grime, even original bass player Lance Arnao was back in the fold, someone recorded the London show.. and here it is, pressed on some limited edition vinyl..raw, bleeding, and a good indication of how the Icarus Line are...oh yes.. 100 copies only for the UK.


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