PO: Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress [March 31]

[Cloudsbelow]

Live godspeed performances are not for the faint of heart - they require endurance 

 

you can leave feeling exhausted - and i promise there was no mosh pit haha

 

 

yeah, in the right venue with right live mix it would be a killer show.  

[drds89]

Yeah, I'm not sure what to expect from a live performance. I just hope they play Moya or Blaise Bailey, and Storm. But I doubt they will.

My daughter wants to see them live - we missed a chance during that NIN tour when they did a one-off in a small college town. Some family event prevented us from the 90 minute drive. Those 3 tracks in that order too are probably my favorites. I didn't PO the new record to see if it would be a grower.

[daegor]

I really like what they did on this album, but it is a surprising direction.  Basically the first three tracks are just build up to the final.  The first three tracks are super ambient and textured.  I'm personally really into ambient/noise/soundscapes so this album really clicked for me.

[Andrew_VB]

Yeah, I'm not sure what to expect from a live performance. I just hope they play Moya or Blaise Bailey, and Storm. But I doubt they will.

i'm pretty sure they still play moya and the first movement of storm. that part of storm is my favorite and when i saw them do it on the first leg of the reunion tour i almost died.

 

who knows what they'll be doing going forward, but i just hope they add some US dates.

[rabbitvinyl]

Fucking hell. Constellation's "canada only" preorders are $18 CAD PLUS $14.26 shipping. I might as well just order from the US to a PO box and get free shipping.

It's absolutely ridiculous. I wanted to buy Do Make Say Think's entire discography, plus a few other records, and the shipping cost was insane. I LIVE in Montreal and there's no cheaper shipping option. I tweeted them about it and they won't even let me pick up an order - they just said I could probably find the records at a local store instead. 

What? You don't want my money?

[parkinglot]

Guys. That's what is costs to ship a record in Canada. It sucks, but it is what it is, Canada Post sucks. Not every label is set up to have strangers walk in, hand cash over, and grab a record. These will be in every fucking record store in Canada, buy it local.

[Cloudsbelow]

It's absolutely ridiculous. I wanted to buy Do Make Say Think's entire discography, plus a few other records, and the shipping cost was insane. I LIVE in Montreal and there's no cheaper shipping option. I tweeted them about it and they won't even let me pick up an order - they just said I could probably find the records at a local store instead. 

What? You don't want my money?

 

 

Go to your favourite local indie record store.  ask them to order them in (if they dont already have them).. done.

 

cant be easier, or much cheaper than that.

[voltagedrop]

Yeah, I wish we had media mail here in Canada. It absolutely sucks shipping things here (or getting things shipped here) and Canada Post employees are always so grumpy. I almost want to move to the States just for the cheap shipping!

The mark-up on Constellation releases at my local stores aren't that bad, but it would be awesome to get them for the prices they're charging on the website. 
I'm seeing Do Makes next week and will probably just pick up the albums I don't have at the show.

[Cloudsbelow]

Yeah, I wish we had media mail here in Canada. It absolutely sucks shipping things here (or getting things shipped here) and Canada Post employees are always so grumpy. I almost want to move to the States just for the cheap shipping!

 

Our postal rates subsidize our medicare.  

 

It cost more for me to ship an LP to the states than it does to ship the same LP to another province.  That is fucked.

[voltagedrop]

Our postal rates subsidize our medicare.  

 

It cost more for me to ship an LP to the states than it does to ship the same LP to another province.  That is fucked.

 

 

And here I was thinking our taxes subsidize our medicare. I hate this country.

[Cloudsbelow]

And here I was thinking our taxes subsidize our medicare. I hate this country.

 

shut your mouth.

[Cloudsbelow]

shut your mouth.

 

hate your hockey team.. hate your city.. hate our government.. but dont hate our country.

 

ps.  i'll be visiting your fair hell hole in a bit.. love record shopping in toronto.. had 50lps for carry on last time.. uhg.

[voltagedrop]

hate your hockey team.. hate your city.. hate our government.. but dont hate our country.

 

ps.  i'll be visiting your fair hell hole in a bit.. love record shopping in toronto.. had 50lps for carry on last time.. uhg.

 

Yeah, the hockey team are shit (see avatar for the team I prefer) and the government sucks (all three levels), but I do enjoy the city.

I was born here, so I guess I'm biased. But I'm pretty used to the rest of the country crapping on Toronto for whatever reason.  I'm sure you're already familiar with the plethora of record stores here, but If you need some suggestions I can help you out.

 

[Cloudsbelow]

yeah, i'll hit you up for suggestions closer to the travel dates.  got some rad scores last time.. ridiculous actually.

 

my local shop might have some older sloan floating around, want me to take a peek?

[voltagedrop]

yeah, i'll hit you up for suggestions closer to the travel dates.  got some rad scores last time.. ridiculous actually.

 

my local shop might have some older sloan floating around, want me to take a peek?

 

Yes please! I'm looking for pretty much anything pre-Never Hear the End of It except Twice Removed.

[fitterhappier]

I can't get enough of Piss Crowns are Trebled

I need this on vinyl ASAP

[Derek™]

That is how I felt when I saw them the last two times about a year ago. I saw them play Albanian (whatever they renamed it, I will still call it Albanian) before the new album and a couple times after and it was a different experience. Their sound now is way more "metal" than I remember them being. I had a friend who is a huge fan walk out due to them "sounding more like early Isis than Godspeed." Still not sure how he got that out of it though.

 

That is... kind of ridiculous.  No offense to your friend.  I caught them on their last tour - my one and only time seeing the band - and they did indeed play Mladic ("Albanian"), and it sounded phenomenal.  Maybe they had an entirely different live sound back in the day, but I was blown away.  Especially when the song slowed down and the strings came crashing in, highlighting the drums.  Man oh man.  That was honestly one of the best live performances I've seen, personally.  You couldn't pay me to walk out, and I got zero "early Isis" vibes from the show.  (That comparison is actually a little hilarious.)  Their older material translated exceptionally well in their live performance, too.

 

tl;dr warning – about to nerd out over the new record.  Non-enthusiasts can feel free to skip the rest of this post.

 

Not that anyone asked, but since we're sharing our thoughts and I'm comfortable with the "album" at this point, I'll say this: it's solid.  Very solid.  I can see how fans like tonyfranciosa will find it boring or unrewarding, but I guess it just boils down to what you're hoping to get from the record.  I apologize in advance if any of this sounds pretentious; even though I've been sporting the album art as an avatar for the past month, I'm not in the camp who assumes that Godspeed can do no wrong, and that all of their releases are 100% gold.  But a huge mistake people are making with Asunder is that they're going into it with the mindset that this is a new album from a band who's following up their 2012 release.  To me, Asunder is practically an EP.  It's a bit longer than Slow Riot, but structurally it feels even shorter.  Ultimately, it should be noted that it is an official studio recording of one song.  It flows seamlessly and effortlessly, and just so happens to have a droney middle.  I think it makes a lot more sense to view it that way, instead of "Godspeed gave us an album that's basically one song, two drone songs, and then another song to wrap it up".  If anything, they just broke up one of their signature songs (or suites) into 4 digestible pieces.  To me, saying the album is "boring" doesn't make any sense.  What you're trying to say is that you don't enjoy the lull in the center of the suite, before it picks up.  [And there's nothing wrong with that, if that's your opinion.]

 

I was talking with Shlebs about the record the other day – I think it's a unique addition to Godspeed's discography in that it's the only release to "build up" to one massive payoff.  That isn't to say the opening track is weak, or the drones are intolerable.  I agree with neither of those statements, personally.  But it can't be argued that Piss Crowns Are Trebled outshines everything in the first half hour leading up to it.  As such, you can't say that the album would be half as satisfying if they opened it with Piss Crowns, gave us a drone, then Peasantry, and then the last drone.  [That is, if it mirrored 'Allelujah.]  I really don't think it would pack the same punch.  To me, Asunder feels like a journey where everything culminates and shines in the last 14 minutes.  The way Asunder, Sweet deteriorates and bleeds into Piss Crowns is just otherworldly.  You can feel a monstrous conclusion looming on the horizon.

 

I think I've listened to this release 5 times in the past day or two.  That's the bitter-sweet aspect of its brevity, I suppose: as much as I'd prefer it to be longer and contain more material, I think the run-time makes it very convenient to revisit.  Sometimes you've got the Godspeed itch and don't have 80+ minutes to spare.  It happens.  But even on my last listen, I find it to be incredibly fulfilling and engaging.  There is so much hidden in the drones (and the last track) – if you haven't experienced the album with some quality studio headphones, I think you're in for a treat.  I found myself appreciating Lambs' Breath a lot more, with them.

 

I'd say there are no shortage of gems scattered throughout the record, too.  They may not be immediately apparent... but I love, for example, how Peasantry evokes both middle-Eastern flair - not unlike 2012's Mladic - but also some serious Western vibes.  An unexpected matrimony under one roof.  There's also a great contrast that occurs after the first few minutes, where it's this billowing, towering monstrosity with sweeping sustains and crunchy guitar tones – and then it sort of takes on the "typical" Godspeed beauty, featuring those familiar motifs of hope that are found in a lot of their earlier recordings.

 

Lambs' Breath is perhaps my only real gripe with the record.  I love how dense, thick, and seemingly sinister the band sounds in it.  It does a much better job at maintaining my interest than the bagpipes do, on 'Allelujah's Their Helicopters' Sing.  But I think it could easily afford to be 2-3 minutes shorter.  Asunder, Sweet is the perfect length for a drone "intermission", and it does such a stellar job at instigating a sense of urgency and setting the stage for Piss Crowns.

 

Which... speaking of; wow.  I think Piss Crowns Are Trebled may be among the band's top 2-3 "songs" if you wanted to count the division of Asunder and its 4 specific tracks.  The distorted, choppy strings at the beginning are nothing if not haunting, and they give me chills without fail.  There are so many brilliant choices with the way every instrument is buried in the mix.  The entire shift that occurs around 5:30 is something else, and I love how the gritty guitar steps aside to make room for the record's most melodic use of strings.  Even after 5 listens, and well after I should be anticipating each twist and turn, the song continues to impress me.  And then it impresses me again.  And again.

 

When it's all said and done, can Asunder be considered the best Godspeed release to date?  I don't think so, no.  As a 4-track album, I think Asunder is respectable, but not mind-blowing.  As a new 43 minute song, I think it delivers all I could ask for with a new Godspeed output.  I really welcome it for what it is, and that's a fresh addition to the band's already-impressive catalog.  The sequencing of the record and its length make for a unique listen compared to the rest of their albums, and I think there are both "new" and "classic" GY!BE sounds packed into it.  I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more.  More samples.  More 20 minute tracks sprinkled with ambient, builds, climaxes, field recordings, and strings... blended together instead of compartmentalized.  But as long as Godspeed continues to produce new music, we are officially in uncharted territory.  By that, I mean that the band has been playing Asunder in its entirety and also Mladic for years (under different titles).  It was a matter of time before we had studio versions in our hands, and now we do.  Whatever they choose to play from here on out will be 100% new to everyone's ears – they are no longer obligated to piece together a release to supplement the live tracks they've perfected over recent years.  We're officially in a new "era" for the band - should they choose to proceed - and I find that incredibly exciting... regardless of how long it takes for us to see fruition of a new record.

[Guest]

i received my shipping notice from Dead Tank today. Excited to get this in and blast it on the stereo; i really enjoy this album.

[daegor]

My neighbor is this bands touring sound person.

 

k

[Guest]

That is... kind of ridiculous.  No offense to your friend.  I caught them on their last tour - my one and only time seeing the band - and they did indeed play Mladic ("Albanian"), and it sounded phenomenal.  Maybe they had an entirely different live sound back in the day, but I was blown away.  Especially when the song slowed down and the strings came crashing in, highlighting the drums.  Man oh man.  That was honestly one of the best live performances I've seen, personally.  You couldn't pay me to walk out, and I got zero "early Isis" vibes from the show.  (That comparison is actually a little hilarious.)  Their older material translated exceptionally well in their live performance, too.

 

tl;dr warning – about to nerd out over the new record.  Non-enthusiasts can feel free to skip the rest of this post.

 

 

No, full offense to my friend. I still don't know quite what he was getting at. He was the one who got me into the band but left half way through the show...love the dude but he's an idiot (and not an Isis fan). My stance on it is that they probably just aren't using the same pedals they were years ago/the songs have evolved a lot more in a live setting a la new Swans. The sound was more blown out to me and I stand by when I said "metal," but I probably worded that idiotically. I was drunk and always dumb. I guess I just mean heavier than I remember them being when I first saw them. A lot more emphasis on the "songs" and less on the stuff in between.

 

As far as your thoughts on the album, I'm totally interested but I am waiting to get the record and to digest it for a few before I read it. I read the first sentence and I'm really glad you say it's solid, not that I'm expecting any less from God's Pee. I guess I will wait until I have something to contribute.

[Derek™]

No, full offense to my friend. I still don't know quite what he was getting at. He was the one who got me into the band but left half way through the show...love the dude but he's an idiot (and not an Isis fan). My stance on it is that they probably just aren't using the same pedals they were years ago/the songs have evolved a lot more in a live setting a la new Swans. The sound was more blown out to me and I stand by when I said "metal," but I probably worded that idiotically. I was drunk and always dumb. I guess I just mean heavier than I remember them being when I first saw them. A lot more emphasis on the "songs" and less on the stuff in between.

 

As far as your thoughts on the album, I'm totally interested but I am waiting to get the record and to digest it for a few before I read it. I read the first sentence and I'm really glad you say it's solid, not that I'm expecting any less from God's Pee. I guess I will wait until I have something to contribute.

 

I see where you're coming from.  I feel like there's a lot more guitar - notably distorted guitar - in both 'Allelujah and Asunder, so I can relate to what you mean by "heavier" (or more metal).  Certainly a far cry from Isis, but like you said, that was an absurd comparison to begin with.

 

I'm super eager to hear your thoughts and first impressions whenever you get the time.  Copies are already showing up, from the looks of it, and I think that a first listen with vinyl (at a generous volume) is probably the best way to introduce yourself with the album.

[radiatorhums]

This will be waiting for me when I get home on Friday.  I plan on spending a good chunk of my weekend getting friendly with it.

[The Vool]

Just picked it up at a local store...but can't listen to it today

[museummouth]

 

I did a review of this

[robes]

In the right setting/environment/venue, this band can be phenomenal live. I've seen them live 4 times (twice back in the day, twice recently) and it has ranged from pretty decent/ok (crappy audience/crappy venue) to almost life-changing.

 

The best time was back in the day in 2000 right around when Skinny Fists came out. That show was pure bliss. And yes, their sound has changed over the years. I found them to be somewhat cleaner sounding back in the day, but at the same time also a bit "bigger" as well, more symphonic in a way, maybe because they had a cellist back then as well. Now as mentioned in this thread, it seems a bit more distorted, a bit looser, and a bit more raw.