Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "Luciferian Towers"

Since the late 90's, Godspeed You! Black Emperor to me has come off as almost an anomaly in music.  They're a band that you can't really describe, and if you do end up describing them most likely you're going to not do them justice.  The first time I heard their 1997 debut "F♯ A♯ ∞", I was floored.  The Dystopian Western vibes that flowed freely over these tracks that added up to over an hour was just stunning.  I didn't even know what the hell I was listening to the first time I listened to it.  But it got under my skin, and it refused to leave.  Not to mention, it was immediately very apparent that Godspeed didn't need vocals.  The band's music had so much emotion in monolithic instrumentals, that it just wasn't necessary.  In 2000, the band released their finest work by far, the monumental "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven".  This album is gigantic in every way, but every last instrumental has such a purpose.  From the unbelievable strings powering their way through the album to some of the mind numbing guitar solo's at the end of "Storm" are all completely indescribable.  At the same time, so many of the same elements floated over from their previous effort, like bizarre vocal samples and a true feeling of the world is ending or has ended.  "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven" is simply put, an album you have to hear to truly appreciate.  In 2002, Godspeed came back with another monolith of Post Rock, "Yanqui U.X.O.".  Now, this album wasn't welcomed as warmly as their first few releases, and to an extent I certainly understand why.  This album wasn't nearly as tense, and the payoffs and crescendo's didn't seem to be as monstrous.  However, I don't completely hate this album.  It's still got a great atmosphere and wonderful moments.  But it does feel a little incomplete, and the production doesn't come off nearly as graceful. Godspeed around 2002 took some time off, 10 years to be exact.  They returned in 2012 in a big way however, with "Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!".  This album was a return to form in the best way, as Godspeed painted unbelievable portraits of a desolate Earth, while incorporating unsettling samples and Crescendos and tension that nobody else could even touch.  A few years later Godspeed returned with "Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress", an album that many including myself really had mixed feelings on.  While the album's final two tracks were certainly fine and really well done tunes, the first half of the album seemed to be going nowhere.  Beyond that, it really felt like Godspeed didn't have too much of a purpose. Godspeed are back with their first album in a few years.  Now, I did listen to the teaser tracks.  But for the most part I want to go into this fresh, because Godspeed has really never been about one or two songs off an album.

This album starts off with "Undoing a Luciferian Towers", which is certainly a very grand sounding intro.  But it's not exactly the most well put together.  Godspeed to me have always sounded like such a unit, even when they were trying to make a messy political statement with some sloppy instrumentals.  But no, this is just plain ugly, like they were warming up and someone hit the record button by accident.  But, let's talk about the feeling I get from this because at the end of the day that's what Godspeed is all about.  Sadly, I'm not really feeling anything from this.  Just the opposite, as this track sort of blows right past me. The ugly strings, the patient drums, it's all stuff with hearing from them in the past.  But this is just going nowhere.  And that's coming from a band whose made 24-minute songs seem pleasurable in the past.  "Undoing A Luciferian Towers" just trudges along, trying to make some sort of statement that would have once been so easy for Godspeed.  There are a handful of cool moments, like some of the string releases that come off bigger, as well as some of the crescendos 6 and a half minutes in.  But most of this track simply makes me feel nothing. Thankfully, "Bosses Hand" Pt. I at the very least has some actual tension build up at the start. Like, I actually really enjoy that one violin being played ferociously, as well as the much more somber tone to this one overall that harkens me back to some of their early releases.  There's actually some serious heart in that very bluesy, electric riff.  But just the thought that Godspeed is splitting up their tracks this much and not making massive movements is certainly concerning.  But of all the tracks here, I'm actually moved a little by this one which is certainly a nice change of pace after that painful opener. There's genuine emotion in those strings and wailing guitars.  And while I would absolutely say this one is a little cheap, and this would have been so much more exciting with the proper buildup, this is one of the lesser evils of the album.  But I can't shake this feeling that this simply isn't a Godspeed album.  There are no decimated wastelands, and if there's a political statement here I must have missed it.  By the time "Bosses Hand Pt. II" rolls around, it's becoming obvious that this is far from the Godspeed we know.  I feel like with this one, they're majorly backtracking and unwinding the little they just wound up.  I'm not feeling these much sunnier and hopeful guitars compare to some of the deep and emotional guitars we got a few minutes ago.  Now, at first, I did sort of dig this track.  But upon a bunch more listens, this really is the farthest thing from a Godspeed track.  Elements of their past are certainly here, like those repetitive strings that are still unnerving and those intense drums in the distance.  But outside of that, what even is this?  There's this really strong Bass Groove going throughout, which I guess is certainly hypnotic.  But is that what Godspeed have come to?  There are parts of this album that could have been so good, but so far, this all seems rushed.  "Bosses Hang Pt. III" really isn't that much better.  This one easily could have been tied into that last part.  But it's just getting gruesome really fast.  Like this literally sounds like just about every other Post-Rock band ripping off Godspeed.  Not to mention, I'm just sick of this groove that hasn't gone anywhere and is soiling their name.  The guitars don't even sound good as they just keep getting bigger, and certainly not nearly as grand as they once were.  The only thing remotely redeeming about this one is the return of those big crescendos from the first part of this installment.

This album continues with "Fam/Famine", and I'll give Godspeed this, this is certainly much more elegant and ear-grabbing.  Once again, there's actually some really nice tension built up from these very rigid strings as well as some of that cymbal tapping.  But overall, I just feel like this track is really doing its part.  Every note Godspeed used to play had a purpose, and that's what I see here.  While this album overall is sadly sort of purposeless, this track at the very least is much more eye-opening and interesting.  Here, the band sounds so worn down and bruised, yet beautiful and full of life.  And while yes, this is far from the Dystopian wasteland I've been dying to hear, this is a gigantic step in the right direction.  It's sunny and all, like some of the other tracks, have been here.  But the sheer intensity and the ugly underbelly is fascinating.  The strings are breathtaking, the drones are intense, and everything just sort of works on this one.  And being one of the longer tracks here, which is still minuscule compared to their past work, is nice as well.  Not to mention, it really gives me time to take this one in and feel everything about this one.  Up next we have "Anthem For No State Pt. I".  I'll certainly give this one credit, this certainly has the very desolate feel of earlier Godspeed projects, the feeling that you're in a world that's been left to die.  While this track is short, I actually can't help but really get caught up in this.  The withered guitars sound so bruised, and those strings just come across as so beyond hurt.  There's a great deal of emotion here, especially more than what we've been hearing for the majority of this album.  And while I stand by my thoughts that these "parts" should be one track, this one certainly stuck with me.  Sadly though, "Anthem For No State Pt. II", just sort of lets it all go.  This doesn't even sound like the same band.  This just sort of sounds like some downtrodden and down on their luck blues band.  There's no tension, no real emotion, and I barely have anything at all to say about this.  The patient drums go nowhere, the guitars are lifeless, and this atmosphere seems totally phoned in.  This album ends off with "Anthem For No State" Pt. III".  On the other hand, this track sounds absolutely monstrous right off the bat.  Hearing this track leading up this album, I honestly thought we would be hearing more of these hulking tracks, which of course got me excited.  I love how calamitous this all sounds, and just how intense these instrumentals are.  It's not pretty, it's muddy and dark, but it's Godspeed playing as a unit which we haven't been able to say for most of this album.  The drums here are mindblowing and massive, but that leaves me with questions.  Where was this sound?  Why can't I hear this track spread out over 20 minutes or so?  It just seems unfair to even call this project an actual Godspeed project.  But this is the sort of intense, in your face, brooding sort of track I needed to hear.  It's got emotion, it's got power, it's got grace, and if there's anything close to a statement on this album, it's right here.

Rating: 6.5/10

Give A Listen To: “Bosses Hang Pt. 1”, “Fam/Famine”, “Anthem For No State, Pt. 1"

Genre: Post Rock / Experimental Rock / Drone / Progressive Rock /

If You Dig This, Check Out:  Godspeed You! Black Emperor - “Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven”, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - “Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything”,  Explosions In The Sky - “Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever”.

Overall Thoughts:  At the end of the day, I feel like it’s almost criminal to call this an actual Godspeed You! Black Emperor album.  They’ve obviously worked with long song structures in the past, and I didn’t think that splitting them up to numerous tracks would really do much damage.  But man, these tracks don’t even sound like they were done by the same band half of the time.  Just the opposite, I feel like so much of this album is far from cohesive.  Godspeed was once a band about revolution, epic soundscapes, and dystopian monolithic journeys. There isn’t any of that here.  And the few short moments of THAT we do get, are just sort of overshadowed by how this all just doesn’t add up.