SLOW RIOT FOR NEW ZERO KANADA E.P.

Post-rock cds tend to be really expensive and sometimes cost three or even more times more than a common cd. This cd was no exception but even though the music is a bit less than half an hour, it deserves it.

"Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada" was released on CD EP by kranky and on vinyl by Constellation. I only have the cd. Godspeed You Black Emperor! Always gave me an artistic image. From their name to the brilliant cd titles to the amazing artwork there is always something abstract and mysterious. The fact that you can't find promotional photographs or interview in the internet or magazines only makes this feeling get bigger.

"Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada" proves the above. From the amazing title to the amazing artwork and packaging GSBE reach perfection. The cover of the cd is a phrase in Hebrew, "tohu va vohu" (as Bob Moore has said in his review) and means "waste and void". On the back, you see a Molotov with arrows that explain the ingredients in Italian. Both are embossed and have a shiny gold colour. On the inside, there are lines taken from the bible from Jeremiah both in old English and Hebrew and a few strangely hand written notes from the band. On the cd, there is a badge that says "Operation Handcuff" and has a few notes for drug dealers saying that the payphone they are using records and sends everything they say.

"Moya" is the opening track of the ep. It is more like an eleven-minute crescendo. Big, smooth, carefully-structured crescendos is one of the things these 9 people are masters in and this track is a really fine example. The chemistry of the instruments is amazing. Drums, guitars and string instruments are all in a magnificent balance and manage to create an incredible atmosphere. It's like you can feel the energy getting out of these walls of sounds. Brilliant!

The second track is named "Blaise Bailey Finnegan III" and is cantered around a taped rant in Providence Rhode Island by one Blaise Bailey Finnegan III. In their minimalistic but still incredibly artistic site, it says: "this monologue takes the form of an interview with blaise bailey finnegan the third". Blaise bailey is asked questions from an interviewer about his opinions on the government, America etc. and in the end he is asked to recite a poem. GSBE's site has a few notes about the poem: " 'his' poem which he recites at the end of this monologue is, in fact, not a poem by him at all, but an almost straight recital of the lyrics to virus by iron maiden. "Virus" was written by Blaze Bayley, former Iron Maiden vocalist, but the man on the recording is not actually Blaze. The music here is brilliant but what impressed me really is that I get the feeling the "lyrics" were meant to be listened over this music meaning that they fit extremely well. You can even see the music getting more aggressive when the speaker starts raising his voice. Perfect!

Overall, I think this is an amazing ep. 30 minutes of pure perfection. The 9 people from Canada manage here to make you travel very far with only two songs. They manage to do in 30 minutes what other bands fail to do in double cds. I know I've given enough five stars, but it would be unfair not to give this one too.

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