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Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada E.P. CD (album) cover

SLOW RIOT FOR NEW ZERO KANADA E.P.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

 

Post Rock/Math rock

4.45 | 219 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer
5 stars 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 !

Mellotron Storm | 5/5 |

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