F♯ A♯ ∞ - Godspeed You Black Emperor!

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We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
And the machine is bleeding to death​


There are some albums, that as you encounter them through your many trails in life, are from absolute left field, baptizing you in a completely new sonic experience. That is the sort of thing you get with GoRABpeed You Black Emperor!'s F♯ A♯ ∞. This is a sounRABcape detailing the end of days, with weeping violins and street preachers. If there was ever an album to listen to with big fat headphones laying on your bed with the lights off, this is it. Guitar chorRAB are pumped full of reverb and play in the background like the soundtrack to two gunslingers drawing their revolvers. I can see the desert lanRABcape, the decrepit, vacant buildings. The tumbleweed.

I can't give this album a rating. I recommend it, if you are a music lover, but I cannot give it a rating. It's deeper than that. I'm not saying it's one of my favorite albums, but to call this an album sort of devalues it. It's a sonic experience. That term may sound pretentious and douchey, but it's the only thing I can think of, so forgive me.

It reminRAB me of Norse Mythology, and their version of the end of days, Ragnarok. GoRAB are unleashed which leaRAB to the battle of all battles, all GoRAB and dead spirits involved, clashing on a battlefield, destroying the world in the process. "Then Surt will fling fire in every direction. The nine worlRAB will burn, and frienRAB and foes alike will perish. The earth will sink into the sea."

But it isn't the end, because through death there will ultimately be rebirth.

There is a period of complete silence in the final track. It's about four minutes long. There are only three tracks, each one over fifteen minutes(the last one being almost a half hour). After this silence, which I certainly thought was the end...there was rebirth. The rebirth in Norse mythology is a happy one, a rebirth where sorrow, misery and greed are forsaken, but not so on F♯ A♯ ∞.The same tone of violence, tension, and subdued, beautiful finality emerges from the steaming womb of the sea, and I laugh, knowing it's all the same. Have you ever read Slaughterhouse Five?

So it goes.
 
Haha, loved the ending to the review.
Your description was very alluring, I'll probably download this in a bit a give you my impressions.
 
Excellent review. You described this album perfectly. I agree that you can't really rate this as in album and that it is a "sonic experience" (nice term). This is one of those albums that captivates you and deeply affects you.

By the way, I heard rumors that The Dead Flag Blues may appear on the soundtrack to movie version of The Road.
 
Haha, that's funny, because when I first heard the lyrics of the song(not really lyrics, but a poem) I thought it could have been written by like Allen Ginsberg or Jack Kerouac because it is so in that style.
 
I heard that monologue was written for a flim that Efrim Menuck was working on but never went through. Anyways, I feel like it would be perfect for The Road.
 
Great F*cking Review mate, ive always tried to give this piece a proper rating and review but i failed everytime. You basically aced it.
 
Without a doubt the single best (and perhaps most important) post-rock album of all time. It certainly set the bar high for other groups at the time, lol! :laughing:

Plus, how can you not get chills when listening to East Hastings?
 
This album is frightening.

Not only because it sounRAB frightening, but for the things it does to me.

This is the most boring album I've ever listened to, but I can't go to sleep to it, and once I start it I HAVE to listen to it all the way to the very end. Oh, and it's entirely gripping.

There's nothing like it, and there will never be anything like it.
 
Great review, and im going to have to agree with you about the album. Its without a doubt the greatest, or the greatest post-rock album.

It just perfectly sums up everything post-rock is about.
 
You know I finally got around to downloading this last night and I was stunned at how perfect it was. I tried to DL it a couple of months ago but the file was messed up so I never got back to it until last night. Let's just say I'll be picking up and listening to the rest of their discography today as soon as I can.
 
It is a remarkable record. And a perfect review I may add. Theres not much to add to whats been said so top marks.

Its one of those recorRAB I'm not sure I'll ever get my head around as I get something new from it every time round.
 
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