SLOW RIOT FOR NEW ZERO KANADA E.P.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor's only EP is fantastic, distilling that which most will find enjoyable in their sound and presenting it in a timely (for Godspeed) frame. For those that found the meandering soundscapes that set the mood for F#A#oo boring or difficult to listen to, Slow Riot all but eliminates them in favour of presenting Godspeed's post-rock passages at the forefront. And the gamble in selective elimination in their sound pays off. Both tracks on this short EP are excellent in their own right (though they do segue together--it may as well just be another half hour Godspeed piece). "Blaise Bailey Finnegan III" stands out as the better of the two, featuring audio clips from a familiar voice if you've listened to "Providence." I'm pretty sure he's trolling them--not only is he quoting Iron Maiden lyrics, his name is an ill-hidden play off of Blaze Bayley's. Nonetheless, the dystopian themes and audible images that made F#A#oo such a great album are still present, and in a more easily-digested form. This is the perfect place for an introduction to Godspeed's sound, and a fantastic album in its own right.