From the dreary, isolated sheet of frozen brilliance that is Ísland, BÖRN returns from a seven year slumber to unleash "Drottningar Dauðans" (Queens of Death)! Nine prickly post-punk slashers baring their teeth on subject matter ranging from social paranoia to full autonomy to drowning in hair. There is a lot of pressure in today's world to be a part of some systemic continuum or to follow a pre-laid path to civic adulthood. Fuck that shit! BÖRN exists outside of any norm or expectation and that is exactly where we like our punk to spring from.Our take: Bless Iron Lung Records for continuing to document the small but creatively fertile Icelandic punk scene. Their latest missive from the island is this new 12” from post-punkers Börn, whose previous LP came out way back in 2014. While Börn has released that previous LP and a handful of singles and EPs, it doesn’t appear they got much attention here in the US, so this new album is the first time I’m hearing them. Unsurprisingly for a band that’s been around for so long, they sound seasoned and confident here, with a big sound that augments a post-punk brood with hardcore’s desperate anger. The rhythm section is tough and punky, the driving beats and propulsive bass lines reminding me of Rudimentary Peni, while the guitarist alternates between fluid and ethereal death rock melodic lines and cascading sheets of chorus-drenched chords. While I can’t understand a word the singer says (the lyrics are in Icelandic), their impassioned howl makes me think of a growlier version of Rozz Williams from Christian Death. Stylistically, this fits in with modern death rock-influenced punk bands like Slimy Member and Anasazi, but with that certain inarticulable element that makes everything I hear from Iceland sound so distinctive. As such, you’ll enjoy this whether you’re a dyed-in-the-wool death rocker or someone who is interested in the music of that magical island.
