Staff Reviews

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!

Review by Andrzej Lukowski

If ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! is a relatively minor record, it’s one that affirms Godspeed You! Black Emperor still have a place in this world.»

User reviews

• 9/10 by tphrthms

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a decade has passed since the release of 'yanqui u.x.o.', the last album by godspeed you! black emperor. they seek to preserve the thrill of anonymous and uncalculated transmission, knowing full well that these days, anti-strategy risks being tagged as a strategy, non-marketing framed as its opposite, and deeply held principles they consider fundamental to health as likely to be interpreted as just another form of stealth. 'allelujah! don't bend! ascend!' delivers two mighty sides of music (bookended by two new drones) that the band had been working up prior to their 2003 hiatus, which they have now shaped into something definitively stunning, immersive and utterly true to their legacy. the future looks dark indeed, but on the evidence of this new recording, godspeed appears wholly committed to staring it down, channeling it, and fighting for some rays of sound (and flickers of light) that feel righteous, unflinching, hopeful and pure.
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