ALL LIGHTS FUCKED ON THE HAIRY AMP DROOLING

There is a difference between gone and lost. When something is gone, it can never be retrieved again, when something is lost, it can be found again. This happened one time in history. One day, in 1911, a painting, a rather famous painting more specifically, was stolen from the Louvre. It sparked a full wide investigation and speculation on who took it. When it was finally brought back, it was a lost relic at the time and soon became one of, if not the most important pieces of art in culture. That painting was the Mona Lisa. However despite it being the most important pieces of art, a lot of people who saw it were let down. While I haven't seen it myself, people who have said it was rather underwhelming, with it being fairly small and not some big grand spectacle the lore built it up to be, however it is not the painting that should be appreciated, but giant story surrounding the art piece. This reminds me though, you know the saying on how history repeats itself? It happens a lot, and I feel like now, especially after these past few weeks, we got our own Mona Lisa, the post modern Mona Lisa.

In 1993, the frontman to the band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Efrim Menuck, created a 70+ minute demo tape, which soon was the cinders to what would late become the band to make such albums like Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven and Alleujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!, however due to him being poor and homeless at the time, he could only make 33 copies of the demo as cassette tapes. Soon, somewhere in the 2000s, due to constellation records releasing art of the cassette tape's art, Godspeed fans started to go wild. What could this album be, what did the early forms of Godspeed sound like? With interviews of people talking to Efrim about the album, hype around the album soured higher and higher. One day, on Reddit, a user by the name of CasketJack unveiled that he had the cassette and he asked what the deal was about it. Soon he leaked 2 songs off the album, Random Luvly Moncton Blues (S) and Dadmomdaddy. A lot of people really wanted to hear the full thing, but the begging, pleads, and even the occasional threat made CasketJack delete his Reddit account, never unveiling the cassette, leaving it lost to time, never to be found or heard ever again?is what I would say if an unexpected occurrence happened. This year, a 4chan user uploaded the entire cassette tape on the messaging boards, and soon, a YouTube channel by the name of naskivik uploaded the album onto YouTube, which set the entire Godspeed fanbase into a frenzy. The lost album has finally surfaced, the lost has been found, but was it the real deal. Later that week, Godspeed themselves uploaded the entire album onto Bandcamp, confirming that this was the real album, the real deal. The Mona Lisa has been found for the modern generation, however is it like the Mona Lisa to where the journey is more brilliant than the destination, or is the destination as good as the journey?

Now fair warning, do not expect the sounds you'd hear on albums like Yanqui U.X.O or Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada. You aren't gonna get that. What you will get is some fairly decent noise, ambient, and Avant Garde rock music. These definitely feel like the pollen of the band's beginnings, but they also feel strangely obtuse in compared to their other releases. Think of this as The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Different sound compared to what they would make in the future. It also has vocals, and the singing is kinda bland honestly. I can definitely tell why Efrim would not sing in any other Godspeed release since, because he cannot sing. It is also pretty hard, both in song and quality. A lot of grainy textures, bassy guitars, and some headache inducing noises. Hearing this album feels like an intense, experimental nightmare of noise, chaos, sadness, confusion, and unlike the stuff on their later releases, no hope. This may be the most cynical and gloomy album I have heard from any band, and while it definitely peaks my interest for a possible timeline where Efrim would continue Godspeed as a solo project than a 9 piece post rock group, it doesn't make me want to experience something like this headache induced mess of an album. It is clear that Efrim made this when he was at his most low, and his music reflected his life, a messy and confused ensemble of pain. But luckily, even when there is no hope in the songs, it is strangely uplifting, hearing such chaos, but you know the storm will settle down, and will rise a beautiful sun on the horizon, and I think this is the album's strong suit, but that doesn't detract from the fact this album isn't all that good, or really worth hearing again.

So, as I said, this is the post modern Mona Lisa. A historical piece of pop culture that has been lost for nearly 30 years and gave way to some of the rawest historical events in post rock history, and it finally being found gave way to what could be the most important album to ever resurface on the Internet, however like the Mona Lisa, it is not particularly good. Really it's not bad, but what more can you gain or lose from it. It's a experimental and loud mess, but without it, we might get a whole new music world as we know it. A world without Godspeed You! Black Emperor would be terrifying, moreso than their music. So while I do not like this album musically, for what it is worth and what it brought forth though should not be discredited. Keep doing what you are doing Efrim, you are doing good.