Sunday 13 December 2015

Godspeed You! Black Emperor "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven" (2000)


Here's a record that's been in my rotation for a couple of years now. Hailed as a masterpiece and a classic I've failed to connect with whatever it is other people see in this album. "Lift Your Skinny Fists..." comprises of four lengthy 20 minute songs that entomb Shoegazing Post-Rock numbers inside a vault of murmuring drones and cascading ambiance. As I touched on in my post of "Celestite", such musical works can be a hit or miss even based on the tiniest of discrepancies but in this records case most of the choices in droning distortion guitars and gentle ambiances that grew and shrunk in-between where a turn off. In its quieter, brooding moments I felt little emotion or connection and in its big and dramatic, soaring guitar led Post-Rock drones I felt very little.

Its hard to describe a lack of connection or emotion, or to even pin point why but if somethings are not doing it for you its even harder when the more approachable content is hidden between lengthy intervals of dark, lengthy ambiance and dull drones. Despite my lack of captivation some moments show a sense of theme developing which come with some nice tempo changes that unfold. "Deathkamp Drone" was the most enjoyable piece from the albums fourth track but lost at the end of a ninety minute record it wasn't often I made it that far through. I gave it my time, I do wonder if its age and the context of that time makes it more remarkable but even so this record just wasn't for me.

Rating: 2/10