GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR

On the band's latest and ninth official release (counting the now confirmed authenticity of the band's delayed 1994 mystery album "All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling,") the GODSPEEDSTERS have crafted another collection of apocalyptic soundscapes laid bare through the sounds of chamber rock instrumentation and melancholic drones. While fairly abstract as far as how the musical style is delivered, NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024, 28,340 DEAD is actually a concept release that highlights the number of casualties who have fallen victim to the war crimes on the Gaza territory courtesy of a power drunk regime hellbent on regional domination thus bringing the band's traditional abstruse and nebulously defined concepts into a focused limelight of current events.

Amazingly the GODSPEEDSTERS have returned with the exact same lineup that the band has benefited from since 2012 which gives this team of 10 musicians on board an almost telepathic connection as this well-oiled machine has reached the peak of the post-rock totem pole. While conceptually directed towards a specifically targeted series of war crimes still in play, musically NO TITLE pretty much carries on the business-as-usual approach the GODSPEEDSTERS have been crafting since the so-called return to form initiated on 2021's " G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END!" after boldly drifting into more explorative terrain on the band's two previous albums. This is a comforting move for hardcore fans who worship the alter of the band's run from "F#A#∞" to "'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!" but sounds a little been-there-done-that to anyone hoping the the SPEEDSTERS would take their act to the next level.

Musically NO TITLE offers more of the same with long drawn out cyclical looping soundscapes that find jarring guitar distortion punctuating a creeping to crescendo chamber rock callithump of instrumentation. A totally instrumental affair save the scant spoken vocal parts offered by Michele Fiedler Fuentes on "Raindrops Cast In Lead," the SPEEDSTERS offer another compelling album of their unique brand of post-rock only set to autopilot without much effort to direct the music to evoke the specific nature of the so-called conceptual nature of the album's intent. Even the spoken lyrics are presented in the Spanish language and not the expected Arabic narrative of some Palestinian victim of the assault suggesting the GODSPEEDSTERS were willing to cast a light on the situation with the title but didn't want to go the entire distance and offer some of their famous field recordings of actual events that have transpired pointing to the fact the band wants to have its cake and eat it to.

While conceptually significant as it does indeed express the sentiment of most of the world at this point, musically there isn't much to separate NO TITLE from the previous offerings of multisyllabic titled releases except for the fact that perhaps NO TITLE is a bit more on the mellow side compared to the thundering crescendo induced majesty of previous albums. The album just seems more down to Earth and less embarked on an alienation journey however this is fairly superficial as the same epic techniques and enigmatic tactics that band has engaged in for over two decades are well in play. Overall there is nothing to dislike about NO TITLE as it displays the band doing what it does best with an impeccable display of atmospheric uproar funneled through the limitations of a chamber rock orchestral effect and it's safe to say that GODSPEED is in no danger of losing its touch as far as postly rockin' the world with its now classic funeral escapade into the darkened realms of experimental rock.

For those who welcome just another brick in the band's homogenous wall of sound then NO TITLE will no doubt bring you to those same places in a slightly different form however the band is beginning to sound a bit retro with its own style as it seems to have ceased and desisted to any attempts to evolve the band into a new chapter of the post-rock universe. Commercial acceptance over brash experimentalism? Well, that's clearly a decision any world class famous band has to make and although i would love to hear the SPEEDSTERS ratchet things up a few notches i'm in no position to declare that i don't enjoy a consistent rehash of one of the world's most exhilarating post-rock bands. In short another well performed album that falls short in evolutionary expectations and a rather feeble attempt regarding the conceptual aspects. In all fairness, GODSPEED has crafted a rather timeless sound that will probably carry it into the next decade and beyond so i can only be grateful that a band is capable of releasing quality music time and time again.

This album is singularly one of the most beautiful and touching things I've ever heard. I hate to compare this to Yes's 'Close to the Edge', but I might have to. The amount of emotion Godspeed You! Black Emperor manages to bring to the table is immense, and that is what makes this album so emotionally connecting. The album opener is 'Storm'. This track conveys such a feeling of melancholy, lyrics are unnecessary. This song feels like a metaphorical storm, with the peace before, the panic in the midst of it, and the return to peace after it is over. I personally think it is about life as a whole, and how it begins without a care in the world and ends with (not to quote Shakespeare, but) second childishness. 'Static's weird speech is so confusing and odd it is disturbing. About halfway through the track is a movement that sounds like a modern rock song. Then the music returns to the sad feel found before it. The song ends with ambience, making good use of the track's title. I think this track is about religion, an obvious guess regarding the subject matter of the spoken word. 'Sleep' begins with a man talking about Coney Island, and then about sleeping on the beach. Sleeping. This is an introduction to the theme of this song. Then there is a sad orchestral melody. Another beautiful highlight of this album. A nice little guitar interlude fades in and out of the music until crescendoing at one of the most powerful parts of this entire album. The music eventually slows down. After a slow section, the music suddenly explodes and turns into a hopeful guitar solo. Another beautiful highlight of this album. The solo fades away and the song ends. This song seems to be about how life passes you by. The closing track, 'Like Antennas To Heaven?', begins with a little country ditty and fades into ambience. Then, like in 'Sleep', the music explodes and slows down again. Another explosion slows down yet again and the album ends. 'Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven' is a great album, and a great introduction to math rock for anybody. It sure was for me. Everyone can find something to love in this album. Good crap.

In 1993, the frontman to the band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Efrim Menuck, created a 70+ minute demo tape, which soon was the cinders to what would late become the band to make such albums like Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven and Alleujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!, however due to him being poor and homeless at the time, he could only make 33 copies of the demo as cassette tapes. Soon, somewhere in the 2000s, due to constellation records releasing art of the cassette tape's art, Godspeed fans started to go wild. What could this album be, what did the early forms of Godspeed sound like? With interviews of people talking to Efrim about the album, hype around the album soured higher and higher. One day, on Reddit, a user by the name of CasketJack unveiled that he had the cassette and he asked what the deal was about it. Soon he leaked 2 songs off the album, Random Luvly Moncton Blues (S) and Dadmomdaddy. A lot of people really wanted to hear the full thing, but the begging, pleads, and even the occasional threat made CasketJack delete his Reddit account, never unveiling the cassette, leaving it lost to time, never to be found or heard ever again?is what I would say if an unexpected occurrence happened. This year, a 4chan user uploaded the entire cassette tape on the messaging boards, and soon, a YouTube channel by the name of naskivik uploaded the album onto YouTube, which set the entire Godspeed fanbase into a frenzy. The lost album has finally surfaced, the lost has been found, but was it the real deal. Later that week, Godspeed themselves uploaded the entire album onto Bandcamp, confirming that this was the real album, the real deal. The Mona Lisa has been found for the modern generation, however is it like the Mona Lisa to where the journey is more brilliant than the destination, or is the destination as good as the journey?

Now fair warning, do not expect the sounds you'd hear on albums like Yanqui U.X.O or Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada. You aren't gonna get that. What you will get is some fairly decent noise, ambient, and Avant Garde rock music. These definitely feel like the pollen of the band's beginnings, but they also feel strangely obtuse in compared to their other releases. Think of this as The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Different sound compared to what they would make in the future. It also has vocals, and the singing is kinda bland honestly. I can definitely tell why Efrim would not sing in any other Godspeed release since, because he cannot sing. It is also pretty hard, both in song and quality. A lot of grainy textures, bassy guitars, and some headache inducing noises. Hearing this album feels like an intense, experimental nightmare of noise, chaos, sadness, confusion, and unlike the stuff on their later releases, no hope. This may be the most cynical and gloomy album I have heard from any band, and while it definitely peaks my interest for a possible timeline where Efrim would continue Godspeed as a solo project than a 9 piece post rock group, it doesn't make me want to experience something like this headache induced mess of an album. It is clear that Efrim made this when he was at his most low, and his music reflected his life, a messy and confused ensemble of pain. But luckily, even when there is no hope in the songs, it is strangely uplifting, hearing such chaos, but you know the storm will settle down, and will rise a beautiful sun on the horizon, and I think this is the album's strong suit, but that doesn't detract from the fact this album isn't all that good, or really worth hearing again.

So, as I said, this is the post modern Mona Lisa. A historical piece of pop culture that has been lost for nearly 30 years and gave way to some of the rawest historical events in post rock history, and it finally being found gave way to what could be the most important album to ever resurface on the Internet, however like the Mona Lisa, it is not particularly good. Really it's not bad, but what more can you gain or lose from it. It's a experimental and loud mess, but without it, we might get a whole new music world as we know it. A world without Godspeed You! Black Emperor would be terrifying, moreso than their music. So while I do not like this album musically, for what it is worth and what it brought forth though should not be discredited. Keep doing what you are doing Efrim, you are doing good.

The most massive, positive, offensive declaration is coming on the first track "A Military Alphabet ?" that features a delicate calm tension in the beginning, followed by such an exaggerated sound fuzz grandeur and strict rhythmic bases like a marching song (it might be natural because of the title?). The latter part involves upbeat ballooning  musical improvements and polished bluesy connections filled with crazy distorted sound manners. Such a mixture of diverse, colourful sound variations is their characteristic and simultaneously their unique charm, let me say.

"Fire At Static Valley" gives me a wonder what they mean, what they want to tell. Such a deep, heavy, depressive melodic / rhythmic discharge ? I'm afraid if they would have a concern for some massive wild forest fires around their nation Canada or US. Magnificent, tranquil, sedate, but serious, critical phrases collective remind me of various things. I consider the shortest stuff should be upon another important position in this album.

In "Government Came ?" quirky, noisy electric guitar playing flavours fascinating. Somewhat dissonant, twisted melody lines are quite fresh and impressive. Edgy, sarcastic violin touches shoot painful scratches to our heart. Dramatic development in the middle phase and sudden flexible temper interlude after loudly fuzz should be good diversion. And in the last part we can enjoy slightly uptempo (for their sound style) dreamy melodic delights. This delightful atmosphere could expect the following hopefulness, I guess.

The last "Our Side Has To Win (For D. H.)" featuring enthusiastic, gorgeous ambience with dizzy, fuzzy, postrock authentication completely thrills me. They might say we need to settle our mind, to deal with tough problems currently around us, never to give up and see the bright sunshine in the near future. Yes, every night comes to an end. A brilliant hope is matured with this song.

So, their positive intention and attitude through this production can definitely encourage us.

With that said, the importance of this album to this genre is monumental. I really can't say another post-rock record released before was as ambitious and bold as this one, and it influenced the genre by proclaiming itself as the most quintessential post-rock record. Lots of build ups, lots of droning, lots of atmospheric sections, lots of talked sections, no vocals, all the properties that can be heard in post-rock can be found in this album.

I understand if you don't like this record, but saying that it's a 1 or 2 star record is wrong considering how important it is to its genre. I'm giving it five stars because it is an essential record and because I absolutely love it.

Is it inaccessible? Yes, their entire discography is. However I'm completely sure that if you like Post-Rock you will really enjoy this album. It's without a doubt one of their best. It might sound bold to give it five stars, but it deserves it.

Five stars, no doubt!

A truly outstanding work from Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada is the second EP the band and a major release in their discography, consisting of just two long songs that sum up for ~28 minutes of Post-Rock. The songs work in a build-up type of song structure. Moya is the first one, my personal favorite, and Blaise Bailey Finnegan III is the second (and lengthier) one, and a fan favorite. I absolutely recommend this album to any Post-Rock fan and it's essential for all Godspeed You! Black Emperor fans.

It's five stars for me.