SLOW RIOT FOR NEW ZERO KANADA E.P.

This is considered to be GODSPEED's second release , a 30 minute EP full of the most luscious and dark musical landscapes you will hear. Essentially "Slow Riot" is 2 pieces both connected with the first piece representing my personal favourite song they have ever performed. Once again the band's core musical approach is to slowly build methodically and instrumentally a melodic tension which culminates into a vast explosion of energy and beauty. The cello and violin provide a beautiful contrast vs the powerful guitars and percussion. GODSPEED's signature sound is the juxtaposition of deep tonal strings, tribal tom toms, cymbal crashes and multiple trilling guitars. The second tune is centered around the nasty narration of a disgruntled gun toting poet /redneck. Although at first I found this a bit distracting, upon second listen I got it! It actually adds to the hallucinatory effect with the keys plinking in the background with the e-bow and cello barely holding on. Without a question this is mind numbing dark foreboding instrumental music which must be in everybody's music collection. Haunting and cinematic, this is an impressive piece of music history.

4.999 stars really. This EP second release betters their music and is along with their debut my fave. The sheer dark melancholic athmospheres reach their peaks on this one and there are some parts that still bring me goose bumps even after some odd fifty spins on my deck. The post atomic feel of the first album is enhanced by the speech of this country hick depicting the third world class land he lives in. Some of those dialogues however closely related to the music do not stand repeated listening but nothing that a fast-forward button can't fix , if you are not in a mood, but if you put a GYBE! album , you better be in the mood for it.

This is one of Godspeeds finest moments. This EP is a good starting point as it is a lot more digestable than their full length albums. "Moya" is one of the shorter pieces by this incredible band. It is also one of the swiftest moving pieces as the others have ver gradual build ups, this one gets straight into it. This piece is very uplifting, relaxing and rewarding. One of their best pieces in my opinion.

This album follows a similar instrumental structure to their other albums, with strange voice overs and effects. "Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada" allowed the band to appeal to a bigger audience as their other albums are very patience demanding and can be a struggle to listen to at times. This album is punchier, shorter and faster moving yet still in true godspeed style so it definetly makes these two pieces strong and very listenable.

"BBF3" is also an uplifting yet dark piece with an interesting court debate between an inpatient judge and a man who just wants to pay his speeding ticket and get out of there. I think the voice overs add to this piece, you get amazing instrumental work as well as entertaining and strange vocal that keep the listener appealed. This is one of their strongest pieces and one of the best EP's i have heard.

4.9 stars actually

If post-rock is holding the flag of prog today, then GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR has his name in the flag. This nine piece instrumental band from Canada changed the way I saw modern(and classic) music forever and made me an instant post-rock fan ever since I've heard them for the first time.

GY!BE's music is very unique and different from alot of post-rock bands and prog bands but still very enjoyable for people of both sides.

Now for the music. Once you push play you will start to enter slowly into the music of GY!BE made by some of the best atmospheres a nine pice band can make. The music is very depressing and mellow yet beautiful . Its like a world when you enter into their music, its so dark and bleak that will make you cry if you really get into it, you just want to close your eyes and imagine yourself in that dark world. You feel every sound as if it is touching your skin. When the music stops you realize that that world you where was actually the one you live in. GY!BE's music represent the badest and darkest feelings in the world.

This is the best place to start with this band since it contains shorter and a bit more faster moving songs than their other albums. If you don't get it the first time then whip it another time because it is at times a bit to much to digest.

If you like post-rock, symphonic prog, classic music or psychedelic then give GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR a try. I asure you that you wont be dissapointed. all you need is PATIENCE and love for music.

I can't really express myself fully beacuse I don't speak 100% good english but if you had trouble with this review then please check out the other reviews of the band made by the collaborators and others.

I wouldn't go as far to give this 5 stars, but these guys never fail to amaze me.

This, as their shortest output in terms of length, contains only two songs. Moya happens to be the shortest song they have ever done, clocking in at just under 11 minutes.

In typical GYBE style, this is post-rock at its best. The themes here are just as good as any other they have ever done. It amazes the listener that they can never run out of different ideas for their songs; they just keep going.

The first song, Moya, builds more quickly than their other songs; hence, its shorter length, comparatively. Yet, it is one of my absolute favorite GYBE songs, out of all of their current albums. It sets the mood for the entire EP; coldness, desolation, loneliness. Yet, and I don't for the life of me know how they pull it off, it is uplifting at the exact same time. I'll never understand how they pull this off, but it is absolutely brilliant.

Then comes Blaise Bailey Finnigan III, a longer piece that fits right in with the band's other behemoth tracks. It features signature GYBE spoken voice over it at points. It is an interview with a person by the same name as the track. Some of you might recognize the name; for those of you who don't, see if you can figure it out. Anywho, it is more of the same GYBE, which naturally means that it is unbeatable. It continues that very feeling of Moya to fill out the EP.

I consider this EP just as much an album as their other works. It stands up there among them easily as one of their best outputs (even though they only have 4 at the time of this writing). It you like post-rock, well then you get this, simple enough. If not, you should try and get into them. I reckon that this would be a good start, since I got my own start on post-rock with the song Moya. 4/5 stars.

3.49 stars! This is really good. But when compared to GYBEs other works, it isn't essential. This cd gains most of that 3.49 stars on the strength of moya, a stunning song. It packs a lot into ten minutes and basically skips the buildup GYBE is known for. Its nice to own a song by these guys that cuts right to the chase, as much as I love all the 15+ minute songs filled with teases and so forth. the second song is spoken dialouge (some of which is BS while some is spot on) by a lunatic (it would seem) speaking out against the US government. His rantings and raving take center stage but there is some nice musicianship in the background throughout and a few instrumental segments.

I read a review of this EP a while back that included the following statement (I have been hanging onto it in the event it may prove useful at some point):

“Do you know how embarrassing it is to cream your pants in public because of your uncanny skills at aural pleasure?”

Over time I have started to become a bit jaded on these guys, especially considering their heavy use of Bolero-esque slowly building crescendos that may involve different instruments from time to time, and may have the odd twist or turn, but mostly are just predictable after a while.

That’s not really the case here. Well it is, but that sound was still fresh when this EP was released more than seven years ago, so really we’re talking about this sound before it became jaded. Only after-the-fact.

Today the post-rock landscape is strewn with clones, copycats, and those who were simply ‘inspired’ by Godspeed (who were probably inspired by Bark Psychosis themselves I suppose) to stretch their creative comfort zones into this more experimental dimension of sound. A select few are more interesting than Godspeed, most are not. And even Godspeed have branched out with more innovative outlets like Set Fire to Flames, somewhat abandoning the crescendo paradigm for a deeper exploration of the emotional dynamics that give birth to the sounds in the first place. This is dangerous musical deprivation-chamber territory of course, and at some point one (or more) of these guys will end up nude and standing in a trash can waving a summer squash at passing auras while reciting the ingredients to a can of Campbell’s tomato soup. Never look a crazy man in the eye. Or a monkey.

There are about a hundred or so interesting little bits of symbolism surrounding this EP. Some of them are intentional, some are not (depending on whose version of events you find more credible). Among them is the cover art itself, a simple Hebrew phrase "tohu va vohu", which apparently comes from the Bible and means "waste and void". One can imagine all the places in the Bible a phrase like that might prove to be useful.

Another is that the EP was released on vinyl, 45rpm on one side and 33rpm on the other. That one’s a bit easier to figure out. And the CD version doesn’t list the band’s credits or the track information (or so I’ve heard – I don’t have that one myself).

And the track “Blaise Bailey Finnegan III” is supposedly from an interview taken during an open mic event in Rhode Island in the late 1990s where a guy going by that name recited his ‘manifesto’ which later turned out to be pretty much the lyrics from a somewhat obscure Iron Maiden song titled “Virus’, which had been written by then- vocalist of the band Blaze Bayley as a new track for their 1997 ‘Best of’. The band claims they didn’t know this at the time, which seems a bit odd considering that album was still on the charts at the time the alleged interview was recorded, and Iron Maiden is hugely popular in Rhode Island. Either way the work comes off as brilliant. I’ve heard a live version though, and it does not translate very well to a concert setting (not that an evening with Goodspeed could probably be considered a concert in any conventional sense of the term).

But that doesn’t matter either, since this EP can probably only be considered as a contiguous piece of art in its original setting, which means on virgin vinyl and listened to probably with headphones. I don’t like headphones. I don’t like watches either, but for other reasons. I don’t like headphones because they remove the dimension of the world around us from the musical experience, and that just seems wrong somehow. Especially for music like Godspeed’s where the artists themselves wrap their music in the context of the world around us and draw our attention to it, not away. That world is an integral part of their music because that world inspired it. We all have a Mile End where we come from (read the liner notes), and that place, usually near the railroad tracks or some sort of public transport, is (or was) a conduit for people into the stream of the world around us. It’s also the best place to observe the chaff, those who don’t quite make it through the conduit, and are left instead to float on the periphery and try to figure out why. This is The Struggle. This is also where cats get lost.

Life is not neat, it is not ordered, but it is. These are great songs and the headphones will help to emphasize this while the songs are playing. But then take them off and go outside.

peace

It's not everyday you stumble upon a piece of music you adore on the first listen. I first heard the free sample of "Moya" on this site I told myself that I must have this album. Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada was not my first Godspeed You Black Emperor! Album, I already owned " F# A# (infinity)" which I didn't find all the interesting at first, I found "Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada" much easier to get into and enjoy. Although it runs for less than half an hour, it is some of best twenty-seven minutes of music around. Strangely enough, I still find "Riot for New Zero Kanada" more fulfilling than "F# A# (infinity)", there seems to be more depth to it.

There are just two songs on this EP, the first is named "Moya", the second "Blaise Bailey Finnegan III." The first song "Moya", lingers around a strange, dilapidated feel. It creates an image of abandoned railway yards, towns, rusted cars and the like. The song opens with a very quiet, atmospheric violin and bass theme which over the course of about five minutes the band gradually adds more and more into a crescendo which leads on to a time change around the fifth minute. The music resumes after this brief pause with renewed vitality and feeling, and the addition of drums and more instruments. The main theme is repeated by several different instruments until finally there is one amazing crescendo in which the music becomes furious.

The following song "Blaise Bailey Finnegan III" opens with a man basically being asked questions about America and it's government. He states that the American government are cheats, liars and things along the same vein. He tells of how he received a speeding ticket and his little story, he also recites a poem about the American government. I'm not sure whether this is a real recording, but just let me say if it isn't then it is well acted, the man's voice and vocal expressions seem very genuine. The song it's self has another crescendo, this time less lively but still with meaningful instrumental sections. At about the twelve minute mark the song begins to pass from being a good song to an amazing one, this section is unforgettable and indescribable.

1. Moya (4/5) 2. Blaise Bailey Finnegan III (4.5/5)

Total = 8.5 divided by 2 (number of songs) = 4.25 = 4 stars Excellent addition to any prog music collection

"Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada" has really earned its four stars, I am very tempted to add another star but I don't think I can. More is needed for it to be a masterpiece, two songs just isn't enough. Never the less I highly recommend "Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada", it is a Post-Rock Essential.

Just wonder how NOT TO GIVE a full 5-star rating to that Masterpiece!!!Excellent moody music,swinging from crescendo to almost unhearing whisper, provocating chat samples, awesome strings and mad guitars, classical GYBE sound,which you'll recognize from the very first seconds...This is essential,and you MUST get it.This is a second one I have from Godspeed's,and it's the same way beautiful and flawless.The greatest band of past few years - highly recommended!!!!!!

Music at times is so touching it creates clear pictures of the unseen, imaginative horizons embracing the art. The "problem" of Godspeed You! Black Emperor's music is that its images reveal, in such an intense way, a diseased, inhuman and terrifying world it disturbs the listener in a way he/she's marked forever. We're completely hit by these shocking atmospheres. Some of them catch a glimpse of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, like the introductory heartbreaking violins of "Moya". Sometimes we feel 9th Symphony could start right over. But then the solemn acoustic guitars appear, in such a depressive mood we're literally reduced to ashes. A slowly crescendo appears just after, slowly and slowly, instrument by instrument, to became a explosion of cathartic apotheosis. We are giants now, giants of pain! We cry. The political "BBFIII" is the follower. More again, a suite opus of crescendo post-rock majesty. Where violins and guitars perfectly run, dance together. And, as if all of this was not sufficient, we're definitely "killed" by the last lines of violins, with their haunting intensity vibes.

A work of supreme genius, every note is felt, every minute is disturbingly intense.

First off I have to say that this is one of the best EPs I have ever heard ! This isn't as dark and depressing as their debut album but there is an apocolyptic theme that runs through this EP. On the front cover are Hebrew letters that apparently spell "Chaos". Inside the cd cover is a quotation of Jeremiah 4:23-27 in both English and Hebrew.These words describe an apocalyptic scene where the Earth is waste and void, with no light in the heavens, no man to be seen, and the cities are all destroyed.The verses end with God saying "The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end."

This connects very well with the first song "Moya" the way it slowly builds to a chaotic and crushing climax before relaxing to a calm. And also to the other song "Blaise Bailey Finnegan III" not only musically but with the interview that we hear with this man who's name is the song's title. We heard this man on their debut album on the song "Providence". Here he rants against the U.S. government, as well as telling us about his confrontation with a judge when he went to pay his speeding tickets. And he talks about being ready for the end of the world. Oh, he also lists the weapons he owns.Scary. As I said "Moya" builds slowly and hauntingly to a collage of violins and cello sounds, until 4 minutes they stop as a calm arrives. Drums come in a minute later as the song starts to re-build with guitar first, and then violin being added. It's still building when 8 1/2 minutes in the whole soundscape is on fire ! The guitars are absolutely dominating, there is no escape.Talk about scorched earth ! This is a scorched song at this point, a sonic assault that musically has caused "the end" to happen. After 10 minutes it becomes an eerie calm with mournful violins that remind me of the words quoted from Jeremiah, the end has happened, it's over. Unspeakable sadness is all that is left.

"Blaise Bailey Finnegan III" as i mentioned before is really an interview with this man who offers his thoughts on the U.S. and it's government before telling us about his experience in the court room. As he tells us about his confrontation with the judge he becomes louder and more angry, and at the same time the music also (especially the guitars) dramatically grows louder until it comes to a climax with his rant. So cool ! And like the first song this is followed by a calm that falls on the soundscape 4 1/2 minutes in.The song then gradually starts to re-build and it comes to a full sound after 7 minutes. A minute later a calm returns and so does our crazy friend. He then quotes his poem. 12 minutes in we get a soundscape not unlike the one on the first track, a blistering, crushing wall of chaos in the form of sound that lasts for 3 agonizing minutes. When it's over you assume that there are no survivors, but then a cry of violins are heard 16 minutes in. He did not make a full end.

Masterpiece !

Godspeed You Black Emperor! - 'Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada' 4.75 stars

'One of the best EP's you can find'

The starting track 'Moya' is one of the most interesting tracks you can hear from this band. The track does not hesitate to unlatch with a moving violin section. This does last a while but there are several moving melodies that can keep the listener concentrated on the piece. The other section is probably Godspeed's fastest moving in their whole discography. Of all the sound where it is most intense, look no further then, 'Moya'. 'Moya' is one of Godspeed's best pieces in my opinion.

'BBF3' has a similar form to the debut album. The dialogue on this track is another strange one. It contains a very unintelligent man with some very poor English (and it is an American) babbling about all these things that he did to be rebellious. Although he does not sound like an intelligent person, I respect some of his views, which might also serve as a good listening and thinking experience. Pertaining to my recent sentence, the music is thrown in the background while the man speaks and it is for quite a while, shedding on where the concentration actually is, and the dialogue. When the dialogue is actually over, the music goes into a crescendo of soaring violins, sustaining guitars, tribal drumming, crashing cymbals and dissonant chords. Godspeed at another fine point in their music.

I love this EP a lot, it is among the best. I felt the second song could have been better in a few areas, but aside from that, a real perfect EP that can stand up against anything. Highly recommended.

4.6 stars

If some of the music found here ends up in a movie, I could claim that I couldn't think of anything that could have been done better. This brooding, minimalist, and apocalyptic music never fails to draw me in and see barren landscapes, or even imagine I'm watching a brilliantly edited youtube video.

The disc begins with a group of violins, some of them playing dissonantly in the background, while some other violins wail slowly, as if showing a bunch of firetrucks and ambulances rushing in to a tragedy in slow motion. The mood is very apocalyptic and reminds me of music that could fit perfectly in a 9/11 documentary. Later, A very slow and meandering echoed guitar with chimes starts growing slowly into a doomish symphony that will make you feel helpless and visualize yourself in the disastrous situation that your mind might conjure. It is not over, it gets worse: you will be faced with an urgent and desperate musical attack. In my case, the towers are collapsing, everyone is running desperately away from the black smoke of death. As you can see, this music is not for the faint hearted and if you love this song, there is a high chance that you would love the band since this song contains the elements that make their last album a success.

Moya transitions into the other piece and you can group them together into a thirty-minute song. This piece is more minimalist and features an interview in the background which does not distract you from hearing the music: it enhances the impact of the song. The paranoid interviewee starts calm but quickly gets angry and passionate. He describes a situation where he was at court, attacks the United States harshly, and later recites a very cynical poem. Meanwhile, the multi-layered dark ambient music follows the tone of the interview really well. I especially love the music involved during the later parts of the interview. After he talks of the end of the world and recites his scary poem, the music turns into an agonizing and chaotic wall of sound that is so intense that you might imagine imagery of nuclear warfare and the end of the world. After the climax of the album, violins reminding you of the first minutes of the album come back in a very haunting format that it will make you wonder how they could write and produce this hopeless type of atmosphere.

Simply put, a masterpiece of darkness, and some of the best music ever produced by Godspeed You Black Emperor.

Two reviews say the album is worth at least 4.9 stars, and yet that's not enough to round up? That's a bit odd, even if the general rules of rounding didn't exist. But while their math may be a bit faulty or subject to strict standards for that 5th star, what they do have right is that if this EP isn't perfect, it's as close to perfection as possible. Godspeed's Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada is the band's first real success. They may have created a whole new genre of music with their debut, F#A# Infinity, but they hadn't yet perfected it. The compositions were choppy, and there was definitely room for more power and memorability. This here EP corrects every weak area of the debut and then some. We are given two of the bands most direct, fluent and captivating songs: "Moya" and "Blaise Bailey Finnegan III." Just one of these tracks delivers more punch than the entire F#A# Infinity. The band has really mastered the art of the climax at this point, and the better production definitely has something to do with it, but the writing itself is clearly more textured and developed to produce more of an impact.

While, as an EP, Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada doesn't quite reach the height of the huge follow up full-length, Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, and as individual songs, its two pieces don't quite stun you like "Sleep," this work is most definitely a masterpiece in its own right. It's also nice that there is a Godspeed EP to have for those moments we're in the mood for their music but can't put in the time required by a full-length. It's 1) a great starting point for those interested in checking this band out and 2) an essential piece in the collection of a music fan, as are the two subsequent releases by this monumental collective.

This EP release from 1999 demonstrates again what incredible music this band puts together. Moya is almost eleven minutes of blissful moodscapes. Slow methodic build ups, gorgeous cello and violin work and reaching an eventual climax. The subtleties on Moya require repeated listenings to fully appreciate and the second track Blaise Bailey Finnegan III is approximately seventeen minutes of the speaker presenting a diatribe on the third world status of America, poetic recitals and thankfully the music for the most part overriding the verbal tirades, just listen on twelve minutes into BBF3 to get an idea as frenzied and solid drumming drives home the severity of the band's missive. Truy awesome music. Politically focussed album for sure but the music illicits an emotive sadness which serves as a modern day representaive for modern day mankind perhaps? Four and a half stars for this Slow Riot.. released already a decade ago now.

There are not many EPs out there that you can actually call a masterpiece because of the time constraints put on them. However, this EP is a masterpiece. You can even ask one of my co- workers that the first day after I heard this album, I told him it was a masterpiece. It is a beautiful combination of guitars and strings and percussion with some spoken word thrown in on the second track. And I can tell you firsthand, that it sounds even better on vinyl. I own the vinyl of this recording and it is definately unique in many ways, but one of the strangest things here is the side with "Moya" on is played at 45 rpm, and the other side (entitled bbf3 on the vinyl edition) is played at 33 rpm.

Listening to this record (and also to many GY!BE albums) I am reminded of Ravel's Bolero. Bolero is to be played by an orchestra with no single player standing out throughout the entire piece. It builds to a beautiful climax by the end of the piece. The best way to perform this piece is each individual has to stay right in time, each person working as a whole and not as individuals. With a constant crescendo, it is so hard to stay in rhythm because the natural tendency is to play faster as it gets louder. Believe me, it is not easy to get everyone working on the same level, but when you do, this classical work is amazingly lovely. This is exactly the way this album plays out on both compositions, especially "Moya". No one person stands out as far as performance, these works are to elevate the band, not a single individual. That is the beauty and uniqueness of this music. This music is best when you can concentrate on what is going on and that is hard to do while you are driving, so listen to it at home somewhere where you can't be interrupted to get the full effect. Both tracks are unique and lovely. I am quite partial to second track however, and prefer it over the first, but both of them are simply lovely. Listen to this and let it carry you away.

This is another one of those rare surprises that I owe entirely to Prog Archives for pointing me in the right direction. Not often does one have the privilege of experiencing music this beautiful that one would assume that it is played by angels welcoming you to joint the peaceful afterlife... but now I'm loosing the grip of the subject matter at hand here.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor (or GY!BE) is a band that has set out to create some of the most original and gorgeous music out there but that's not even half of it! There is also a message here that most liberal thinkers will appreciate if only one chooses to dig deep down under the layers of sound available for exploration. I was fortunate enough to have this EP pave the way for my future exploration of this nine-piece collective since if I had started off with any of the full length albums then I might have missed out on the attention to detail featured in their music. After all, GY!BE albums are quite hefty in size and would have most certainly overwhelmed any rookie listener not knowing what to expect of this music.

Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada is just below the 30-minute mark and features two of the shorter tracks in this band's repertoire, that is if you can believe that any track above the 10-minute mark can be called "short". Moya is a perfect introduction of the build-up style that GY!BE seem so fond of. It's definitely easier to gasp the mind set when dealing with an 11-minute composition than the band's usual format of double that size. The composition does take time the get off the ground but once it does you'll surely know what I was talking about in the beginning of my review!

BBF3 or Blaise Bailey Finnegan III is the definite highlight of the EP. Apparently there was a minor controversy regarding the narration used on the track which doesn't really bother me all that much, still if you're interested in details then you can look it up of Wikipedia. There is an interesting aspect of social criticism embedded in the spoken narration but those who aren't too keen of this use of the music format can definitely still enjoy the underlying instrumental arrangement that complements the "man on the street" interview marvelously.

If you've never heard/heard of GY!BE then I suggest that you start with this EP and work your way for here on. I'm sure that fans of the full length albums have already heard Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada but it goes without saying that it's a must-have release well worth exploring.

***** star songs: BBF3 (17:45)

**** star songs: Moya (10:51)

It's hard to make completely original and beautiful music anymore but some bands manage to do it and do it well. Godspeed You! Black Emperor are one of these bands. Their music never ceases to amaze me and the sounds they create are downright stunning. They create noise that grips practically every inch of consciousness you have and leaves you in an emotional charged stupor that's almost like a high. How many bands can you say that about?

On Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada the band drastically improves from their debut (which was a great album as well) and they start their upward climb to their peak on their next album, Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven. The two tracks are as good and at times even better than the material on the album to come. Intense, slow-building and epic: all words that describe the music here (and most of GY!BE's music).

Godspeed is one of those bands that I could listen to forever and still maintain interest in, they are a truly amazing group.

This EP is a great preview for anyone who wants to love this band like I do, and I hope that others do.

This is a tough one to rate. It feels wrong to give an EP, (especially a 2 song EP) five stars, though its content is deserving of such.

"Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada" is indeed, an awesome release from the post rock kings, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and was the first thing I ever heard from them. The music is post rock at its finest.

"Moya" starts off with a single, ominous tone that gradually builds and builds, moving with a slow but perfect pace, before letting up a bit just to start climbing again. The thing to remember, like with any post rock, is atmosphere over musicianship. Not a jab at their talent, it's simply just not the focus. The pace, rises and falls, and overall flow to the ultimate climax is what matters. Damn, it's a hell of a climax. A powerful, emotional explosion that has to be played at max volume. Beautiful, chilling, powerful...it is orchestral, not just that it's full and loud, but lost in the sonic collage 9 people, even more actually, contribute, playing guitars, bass, violin, horn, harpsichord, drums. Every instrument filling it's space in the soundscape.

The same thing can be said for "BBF3" except for this one they've added a recording, of what I'm not sure but it sounds like some guy with a think New York accent being interviewed, going on, (quite passionately) about his hatred for the US government, an outburst he had in court, and the sad state of the country, a "third world, third rate, third class slum" as he put it. Later he talks about his extensive gun collection and recites his poem, which is largely from the song "Virus" from Iron Maiden.

...OK, not really sure what's going on, but it is a powerful, angry, recording always backed up perfectly by the music, spaced by peaks and valleys before soaring again to its final crescendo. At the risk of overusing the word, powerful is the only way to describe it.

One of the strongest moments is when asked what he thinks the country will look like in 2003, the man simply responds with "I havn't even got a mind that inhumane" and when I listen to that in 2011, and think back to how things were in 2003, then follow the state of America since then....it sends shivers down my spine.

Post-rock in it's greatest and most grandiose fashion, this EP should be the textbook definition for the genre. Brilliant piece of music that simply can't have it's length held against it.

Five Stars

A release just as central to the Godspeed catalogue as their debut album - if anything, it's a marked improvement on it - the Slow Riot EP consists of Moya, an instrumental track, before we get to the real treat, Blaise Bailey Finnegan III, in which the band's music is accompanied by more extracts from a very unusual man-on-the-street interview which what seems to be a rather cranky individual.

The fact that the poem he recites actually consists of Iron Maiden lyrics from the Blaze Bayley era prompts the question of whether the interview is real and BBF3 is a liar as well as a crank, or whether the entire thing is fake, but either way it's a thought-provoking encounter, particularly considering the band's political views. Its inclusion seems to be an act of self-criticism and self-reflection on their part; can their own opposition to government policies thrive by itself, or will they invariably be associated with people like Finnegan, who proudly describes how he made an embarrassing and juvenile spectacle of himself in traffic court?

The thought-provoking nature of the interview is supported perfectly by the music, just as the found audio snippets on King Crimson's Discipline album synced brilliantly with the musical backing. On the whole, Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada is an absolutely perfect bite-sized introduction to Godspeed's musical universe, and a great gateway drug for post-rock in general with it.

The 2nd release from GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR is the SLOW RIOT FOR NEW ZERO KANADA E.P. which continues the crushing bleak apocalyptic atmospheres that shocked the world on their debut. Stylistically this is basically in the same vein but a little more refined and half the length. The packaging is rather confusing as it makes no indication to the name of the band or tracks and the cover is graced only by Hebrew that translates into "formless and empty," a title that brings to mind the post-apocalyptic world of a dead and lifeless landscape.

The first track "Moya" is the shortest of the two and sounds like the bleakest chamber rock of "Heresie" era Univers Zero with additional post-rock accompaniments. It winds and wends throughout the now established slow and organically reached climax that GODSPEED created on the debut before mellowing out and ceding to the longer second track...

" BBF3" is the longer track which is notable for using the lyrics from the song "Virus" by Iron Maiden. The joke seems to be that the guy being interviewed, who is the same one as the debut is named Blaise Bailey Finnegan III and thus the lyrics of "Virus" were from the lineup with Blaze Bayley as vocalist. A little humor amongst the otherwise humorless music is an unexpected extra here. The music unfolds its sound as the others do with the repetitive riffs giving birth to new sounds slowly emerging to a fully more climatic ending.

Only so much you can say about this type of music. It is all about the spectral experience of the mood set forth by the guitars, bass, drums, cello and violin trying to extract every ounce of melancholy there is to be had. A very well done and enigmatic little EP they have created here and one that rightfully deserves the popularity and praise that it has earned. Clocking in at less than 30 minutes it graciously releases you from its grip so you can put on something more uplifting like possibly the soundtrack to "Schindler's List."