To say that Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s new album is not even remotely commercial would be something of an understatement. However, fans of the obtuse Canadian post-rockers are unlikely to be overly concerned, as there are no significant changes to their experimental proggy bombast, even if there is somewhat less nuance than on their last disc, Luciferian Towers. As before though, the album features two extended workouts and a couple of bite-sized tracks, whose style is also reflected in their titles – which display varying degrees of pretentiousness.
Opening track “A Military Alphabet (five eyes all blind) (4521.0kHz 6730.0kHz 4109.09kHz)/Job’s Lament/First of the Last Glaciers/where we break how we shine (ROCKETS FOR MARY)” kicks off with an unclear Long Wave radio sample before bringing on some fuzzy and raw guitar. The tempo slowly builds but never really powers above head-nodding speed as it explores various sonic textures through Sophie Trudeau’s violin and Efrim Menuck’s guitar, before fading away to the sound of birdsong and gunfire. It’s heavy and built for serious volume and while it doesn’t drag on record, it would surely fly much better from a stage.
“GOVERNMENT CAME (9980.0kHz 3617.1kHz 4521.0kHz)/Cliffs Gaze/cliffs gave at empty water’s rise/ASHES TO SEA or NEARER TO THEE” also begins with a fuzzy radio sample that slips into something creeping and mesmerising, as it builds in vibrancy and volume before bursting forth with orchestral pomp and then romping home with an almost joyous skip in its step. It’s music that is unlikely to ever bother the mainstream, but then the same could be said about the two more clipped tracks, “Fire at Static Valley” and “OUR SIDE HAS TO WIN (for DH)”. These are trippy and woozy, spaced out but not exactly relaxing. They do, however, provide welcome and more digestible interludes in the aftermath of the monolithic main events.
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