SLOW RIOT FOR NEW ZERO KANADA E.P.

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.