Godspeed You Black Emperor in General

Godspeed You Black Emperor! are a 9-piece 'collective' based in Montreal, Canada. Their name is taken from the translation of the title of a Japanese film about motorcycle gangs. They play long, instrumental pieces on cellos, guitars, drums, glockenspiel and brass instruments, and use spoken monologues taken from recordings of preachers, street ranters and actors. They don't sing. There are three generally available CDs: f#a#oo (1997, 3 tracks, about 75 mins) slow riot for new zero kanada EP (1999, 2 tracks, 29 mins) lift your skinny fists like antennas to heaven (2000, 4 tracks, about 88 mins) They have attracted hyperbole ...

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, hailing from Montreal, are a curious band; brilliant and bland by turns. This may sound an odd statement but I find it?s true. Yanqui UXO is brilliant. I mean from the first moment brilliant. The whole album, consisting of 3 mammoth tracks, are just sublime. The album is a work of genius; I?m not kidding. Every note, every inflection and sound is taut with emotion. Though the tracks last 20 minutes (approx) apiece they?re flawless, magnificent pieces of music. I?ve sat at my desk at work while listening to this and wanted to cry so much that I was amazed that I didn?t. It?s stunningly powerful and almost unbearable emotive. ...

I bought "lift yr skinny..." from GYBE quite a while ago. I bought it because my friend had told me that I would like them. So I heard some MP3's and I liked what I heard. They at one time had I believe 18 members in their band. Which is amazing, and i guess makes them an orchestra. but they are no less. their music is very soft and quiet at some points in the album, and the music builds into a beautiful luminiferous cage of unwanted babies. they are absolutly wonderful. there are a lot of bands that are compared to godspeed, like stars of the lid. they are nothing like godspeed. but that doesnt mean their good. but no one else can amount to ...