Iggy Pop once called Iceage “the only dangerous-sounding punk band in the world.” After listening to their sophomore record You’re Nothing, I completely agree with the Lewd One.

Their newest record finds them gunning to reclaim that title after a brief detour, and it does not disappoint.

You’re Nothing was a fiery, scuzzy punk record that made the Danish quartet the obvious choice for Black Flag’s heir apparent. But its follow up, Plowing Into the Field of Love, found the group delving into a weird sort of ironic cowpunk that abandoned the scorched-earth hardcore of its predecessor.

Plowing… failed to catch my interest at all, so when I heard that they released a new record this year, I waited months to listen. But as soon as I did, I was convinced. It’s a lot cleaner than You’re Nothing, with an expensive production job. Overdubs of strings, horns, and pianos pepper many of the tracks. But that instrumentation feels more 60s garage than baroque pop.

While their sonic palette is less abrasive, the ethos is just as punk as ever. Elias Bender Rønnenfelt’s vocals never sound “pretty.” His raggedy baritone recalls Joe Strummer as he spouts lyrics of war, self-destructive sensuality, and drunken rambling.

Musically, the album is reminiscent of Velvet Underground, the Stooges, and Exile on Main Street-era Rolling Stones. “Catch It” is a brooding, slurring track that could almost be called a punk power ballad until the frantic interlude hits. “Painkiller,” featuring Skye Ferreira, rides on a huge brass section through a breakneck rock and roll tempo. “Take It All” boils beneath the surface with a tremolo guitar part, snare roll, and orchestral flourishes.

Beyondless might not come anywhere close to the aural onslaught of You’re Nothing, but the mood of the record is largely the same. Both records are rife with devil-may-care menace and a punk attitude so thick you can cut it with a knife. It is both a return to form while forming something completely new. It is a garage rock record in the purest tradition of rock and roll that is still rebellious and fresh.