GODBLUFF

With Godbluff, the band has comfortably settled into the sound which defines their stronger early period. The first thing one might notice is the relative shortness of the album, coming in at only 37-minutes. But this should not be considered a negative; the brevity lends the album a more concise nature, and along with the songwriting that rivals that of Pawn Hearts, makes this album both exciting, and accessible.

The album only contains four songs; which are a bit harder to differentiate than on previous albums, if only for the more consistent nature of them. However, the diversity is certainly seen within the individual song structures. This, along with the careful repetition and development of its melodies are the greatest things about this album, and the band in general. The songs 'Scorched Earth' and 'The Sleepwalkers,' for example, introduce some killer melodies, and repeat them constantly throughout, often in different ways, yet never sound stagnant or over- repetitive. Besides this, any fan of the band probably won't find too much different here than on any previous album, except for perhaps the stronger songwriting and cohesiveness. The same general principle of technical musicianship, constant intensity, tempo, and time signature changes, and an overall experimental sound still applies to this album. Loather's of the vocal style such as myself won't find any change in that department, though I do praise Hammill on 'The Arrow,' which is easily his best vocal work.

With all that said, Godbluff is certainly the best VDGG album, above even the wonderful Pawn Hearts, if only for the more finely crafted and cohesive nature of it, and is certainly one of the essential albums in all of progressive rock.

8/10