F# A# ∞

Godspeed was my first introduction to this crazy genre of "post-rock" and they, to this day, remain at the topThis is truly some of the most hauntingly beautiful music i have ever listened to. The gorgeous yet thunderous buildups, delicate guitar, the apocalyptic monologues, and beautiful melodies, this is incredible stuff and unlike anything you've listened to before. .This is the soundtrack to the end of the world. It is bleak, desolate, disturbing, and full of despair. The introduction to Dead Flag Blues sets the mood for the rest of the album and what a mood it is, arguably the most depressing lyrics i have ever listened to. "We are trapped in the belly of this horrible machine, and the machine is bleeding to death. The sun has fallen down, and the billboards are all learing, and the flags are dead, at the top of their polls. . . " I adore the lyrics to this song, the pure poetry of the monologue. (after the strings fall away) "we woke up one morning, and fell a little further down, for sure its valley of death. . ." I went through a phase a little while back where this song was all that i listened too and that speech has inspired some of my favorite paintings. Providence Is one of my favorites from GS!YBE's catalogand contains some of the bands most inspired work. Monolithic, epic buildup fade into wandering pieces of music with mysterious echoed voices; monstrous crescendos come crashing down into ethereal passages of strings and plucked guitars. Godspeed you! Black Emperor is the face of Post rock for a reason- they do it best. This is truly an epic disc of inspired and inspiring music. not as good as their future releases because of East Hastings, but Highly, highly recomended anyways. 4.5 stars