post rock
It must have been almost a decade ago when I first got acquainted with the music of God Is An Astronaut. I can't remember where or when exactly. It might have been a festival or a song playing in a bar I used to visit. I do remember liking what I heard but I also quickly forgot about it afterwards. Back then my interest in post rock was still waiting to bloom. I knew bands like Godspeed You Black Emperor, Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky. Little did I know that these Irish would become one of the leading bands in the genre and in my personal collection. One day, one gig at the Incubate festival changed all of that.
That one gig made God Is An Astronaut one of my favorite post rock bands, surpassing some of the earlier mentioned bands. Now they return with a brand new album. 'Epitaph' is their ninth opus and it seems like the band to walk the same path as they have before. Sometimes that's not a good thing, sometimes it is. With opener 'Epitaph' and the stunning, possibly soon to be a post rock classic 'Mortal Coil' GIAA confirm their spot in the top of the scene. For me, this is a perfect continuance of their previous work, GIAA at their best, so to speak.
Yet, I am incredibly charmed by the sweet and soothing 'Winter Dusk/Awakening', a gloomy and dreamy tune that easily brings a smile to my face. Follower 'Seance Room' pulls that atmosphere into the typical GIAA sound, mid tempo, melodic and damn catchy. No doubt that this track will prove to become one of the new fan favorites. Once again, God Is An Astronaut showcase their talent and their chemistry with another infectious and danceable post rock tune. I wonder if it can get any better than this.
By now I'm also wondering why I'm writing this review. I mean, fans of God Is An Astronaut will probably already have pre-ordered the heck out of this album. If not, they should. For real, this is actually as good as a genre can possibly get. 'Komorebi' is an introvert tearjerker while other tracks will easily get you on your feet or even bang your head. 'Medea' is made in post rock heaven and closer 'Oisín' is up to you to discover. So undoubtedly this album comes highly recommended, or what did you expect.
Serge
p.s. Did you know that God Is An Astronaut also appears in my book, 'Cecilia's World - A novel about alternative music'? The passage below mentions them, as well as some other musical geniuses. If you like what you read,click here to check out the book. Thanks.
“This school is no place for such profanities, Johan. This has got to stop.”
“That is just subculture stuff. Kids do that these days.”
“You teach those things in your class.”
“No, I don’t. I don’t tell people that Jesus Is A C…”
“Not that word!”
“I’m sorry, miss Vander Green, I just want to show those kids that there is more to life.”
“Like ‘God Is An Astronaut’? Do you believe that Von Däniken nonsense?”
“What I believe is besides the point here, I think. Besides, that is just a post-rock band.”
“I don’t want any rock music in my school, do you understand?”
“But rock music has christian roots, don’t you know that?”
“Nonsense, rock music is rooted in drugs and violence, nothing else.”
“Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a gospel singer.”
“I don’t care. I want you to teach the children about decent music.”
“Yes, good christian music by Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev or Wagner?”
“Yes. Pure, decent music.”
“All atheists.”
“What?”
“Lost their religion, hated the establishment, despised nobility.”
“Mister Peters, that is enough. You are insulting me.”
“I wonder where the coffee is?”
(from 'Cecilia's World' by Serge Timmers)
That one gig made God Is An Astronaut one of my favorite post rock bands, surpassing some of the earlier mentioned bands. Now they return with a brand new album. 'Epitaph' is their ninth opus and it seems like the band to walk the same path as they have before. Sometimes that's not a good thing, sometimes it is. With opener 'Epitaph' and the stunning, possibly soon to be a post rock classic 'Mortal Coil' GIAA confirm their spot in the top of the scene. For me, this is a perfect continuance of their previous work, GIAA at their best, so to speak.
Yet, I am incredibly charmed by the sweet and soothing 'Winter Dusk/Awakening', a gloomy and dreamy tune that easily brings a smile to my face. Follower 'Seance Room' pulls that atmosphere into the typical GIAA sound, mid tempo, melodic and damn catchy. No doubt that this track will prove to become one of the new fan favorites. Once again, God Is An Astronaut showcase their talent and their chemistry with another infectious and danceable post rock tune. I wonder if it can get any better than this.
By now I'm also wondering why I'm writing this review. I mean, fans of God Is An Astronaut will probably already have pre-ordered the heck out of this album. If not, they should. For real, this is actually as good as a genre can possibly get. 'Komorebi' is an introvert tearjerker while other tracks will easily get you on your feet or even bang your head. 'Medea' is made in post rock heaven and closer 'Oisín' is up to you to discover. So undoubtedly this album comes highly recommended, or what did you expect.
Serge
p.s. Did you know that God Is An Astronaut also appears in my book, 'Cecilia's World - A novel about alternative music'? The passage below mentions them, as well as some other musical geniuses. If you like what you read,click here to check out the book. Thanks.
“This school is no place for such profanities, Johan. This has got to stop.”
“That is just subculture stuff. Kids do that these days.”
“You teach those things in your class.”
“No, I don’t. I don’t tell people that Jesus Is A C…”
“Not that word!”
“I’m sorry, miss Vander Green, I just want to show those kids that there is more to life.”
“Like ‘God Is An Astronaut’? Do you believe that Von Däniken nonsense?”
“What I believe is besides the point here, I think. Besides, that is just a post-rock band.”
“I don’t want any rock music in my school, do you understand?”
“But rock music has christian roots, don’t you know that?”
“Nonsense, rock music is rooted in drugs and violence, nothing else.”
“Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a gospel singer.”
“I don’t care. I want you to teach the children about decent music.”
“Yes, good christian music by Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev or Wagner?”
“Yes. Pure, decent music.”
“All atheists.”
“What?”
“Lost their religion, hated the establishment, despised nobility.”
“Mister Peters, that is enough. You are insulting me.”
“I wonder where the coffee is?”
(from 'Cecilia's World' by Serge Timmers)
