Some music exists to move your body, and some exists to move your soul. Sure, there’s a sweet spot in the middle where these two worlds overlap, but let’s face it: sometimes you just need music that hits you deeper, that feeds something inside you. Elias’ Heavy Glory lands squarely in that space. It’s not about mindless entertainment or catchy hooks; it’s music that stays with you, like the fingerprints people leave on your soul. Those prints are what shapes you.

From the first note of Heavy Glory, I could feel this record feeding me. It’s a stripped-back project, with Elias working without the full ensemble of Iceage. Instead, it feels raw and intimate, like a personal journal set to music. The album came to life while he was traveling around Europe, finding solace in just a guitar and a pen.

Take “Unarmed” for example. It’s got this unexpected soulful vibe, his unfiltered vocals taking center. Breaking out midway through is a beautiful crafted acoustic solo. Paired with the dark bluesy lyrics you have a chest collapsing song. You can feel the weight of his travels through the music.

What really stands out, though, is the poetry woven through the album. Elias has always been a strong lyricist, but here, his words cut deep. Lines like, “Your figure is displaying shadow play on my wall / a figment of her beauty still so ethereal” from “No One Else” hit you with such a vivid image. It’s an intimate, fleeting moment, like it’s slipping away even as you try to hold onto it. A certain gravity to this record can be felt throughout this record. The stories from a man who has lived many lives but has found his grounding through music.

There’s a lot of variety here, which might throw some people off. The album bounces between genres, with beautiful covers, collaborations with Joanne Robertson and Fauzia, and heartfelt ballads. It’s not a perfectly cohesive package, but that’s part of its charm. Elias mentioned in a Northern Transmissions interview that he wanted to be “led by gut feeling,” and his instincts give the record its character. The shifts in style and tone might feel disjointed at times, but they reflect the reality of life—messy and unpredictable, full of moments where you’re just trying to figure out what fits.

You can sense the imprints others have left on him. When Iceage first toured the U.S., their tour manager would blast Townes Van Zandt in a beat-up van, and the band hated it. But even those moments stuck with him. His cover of “No Place to Fall” isn’t just a tribute; it’s a testament to the influences that left a mark, consciously or not, shaping the sound and spirit of this record.

Heavy Glory is, in many ways, a collection of those fingerprints—each song carrying its own memory, an experience that helped form Elias. The album steps away from his familiar sound with Iceage, stripping back to something rawer, more intimate. It’s poetry in motion, the kind of music that feeds your soul and lingers in your mind. These are Elias’s stories.

pre-order Heavy Glory by Elias Rønnenfelt HERE