Mogen we een voorzichtig Hallelujah uitbrengen? Anders doet Godspeed You! Black Emperor dat zelf wel. Jazeker: ein-de-lijk komt er namelijk een nieuwe plaat uit van de Canadese grootheden uit de postrock: ALLELUJAH! DON'T BEND! ASCEND! Dat is dus het eerste album sinds Yanqui U.X.O. uit 2002, te verschijnen op 15 oktober al. Genoeg reden tot jubeling kortom.

Volgens het label Constellation biedt de plaat 'two twenty-minute slabs of epic instrumental rock music and two six-and-a-half minute drones' en 'the band’s powerful return to form'. Dat liet de band begin 2011 in Paradiso overigens ook al zien en horen. Maar goed: laten we de verwachtingen voor de vijfde misschien niet meteen torenhoog laten oplopen, dat er nieuw werk komt is al mooi genoeg. Voor wie zich niet in kan houden, is de plaat nu al te bestellen via de site van het label. Overigens tourt de groep door Europa vanaf eind deze maand, maar Nederland krijgt géén nieuw concert. Zeer jammer. Dan maar meer over de achtergrond van de release, plus de tracklist en... een stream (!) na de klik.

Meer over de release via Constellation:

Having emerged from hiatus at the end of 2010, GYBE picked up right where they left off, immediately re-capturing the sound and material that had fallen dormant in 2003 and driving it forward with every show of their extensive touring over the last 18 months. The new album presents the fruits of that labour: evolved and definitive versions of two huge compositions previously known to fans as “Albanian” and “Gamelan”, now properly titled as “MLADIC” and “WE DRIFT LIKE WORRIED FIRE” respectively. Accompanied by the new drones (stitched into the album sequence on CD; cut separately on their own 7″ for the LP version), GYBE have offered up a fifth album that we feel is as absolutely vital, virulent, honest and heavy as anything in their discography. 

 We don’t have much time for mythology, but we’d be lying if we said the return of Godspeed You! Black Emperor in 2010 didn’t signify a whole lot to us as a marker from which to look back on the past decade, to reflect on what’s been gained or lost within the confines of independent music culture and what’s been gained or lost in the socio-political landscape writ large. Godspeed’s music will do that to you. It is music that bears witness to, channels and transforms this predominantly terrible, infuriating, venal and nihilistically sad story we’re all living, sharing, resisting, protesting, deconstructing and trying to change for the better. We think GYBE has once again provided a uniquely moving and compelling soundtrack for these acts of analysis, defiance and ascension.

Tracklist:

1. MLADIC
2. THEIR HELICOPTERS' SING
3. WE DRIFT LIKE WORRIED FIRE
4. STRUNG LIKE LIGHTS AT THEE PRINTEMPS ERABLE

Vinyl stream via YouTube:

godspeed you black emperor