Customer Reviews

All Is Violent, All Is Bright

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ok, so post-rock bands are coming out of the woodwork with a mix of breathtaking and not so impressive results, depending on which bands you listen to. Detwiije, Bark Psychosis, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky, My Educationand Mogwai happen to be some of the greats. I think that now we can add to the list God is an Astronaut. Hailing from Dublin, this three-piece space/post-rock band makes beautiful soundscapes and breathtakingly use volume and noise control to make epic lands of sounds and energy. The emotive element in their music is infused with their great compositions. Being only three members, this band produces music that sound like much more than that and must do musical gymnastics in their stage show to get things done. All is Violent, All is Bright is their second offering and the title is perfect for what the listener encounters inside. Torsten Kinsella (Vocal, Guitar, Keys), Niels Kinsella (Bass, Guitar, Artwork, and Visuals), and Lloyd Hanney (Live Drums, Loops, and Synths) are the masterminds behind this impressive disc.

"Fragile" eases the listener in with beautiful layers of keys and minimal guitar. This moves into killer drum loops and Torsten's Sigur Ros style vox that really add another instrument to the song. Keys add a "windy" feel and the song just draws you into their musical world. I was listening to this in my office while thunder and rain blasted against my windows. It was one of those epic listening moments. Eventually, the song explodes with voices, heavy guitars, and strong live drums. The effect is momentous and perfectly timed. One of the first things I noticed about this band is their attention to details and the small nuances they place in the song. "All is Violent, All is Bright" begins with an ominous, low layer of keys. The guitars come into the mix and usher in what might be called the melody or hook of the song. This floats amidst spacey sounds and inaugurates the drums and bass. This slow tempo build moves in anticipation of an explosive burst of guitars and percussion. While the build is moving along, killer keys and samples float in-between the sounds of the stringed instruments. The explosion of instruments hits you like a brick and is huge and infectious. This comes off the build quickly and leads the listener into a more melancholy moment in "Forever Lost." This begins with a low hum and the piano keys floating on top. The movement is moody and wistful. The guitars fill in the sound and the drums and bass eventually come in to move the song along. The sound of wind blows across the spacey keys and piano while the drums are moved a bit back in the mix. As they build and play with the volume and sounds in the track, Torsten's ghostly vocals float amidst fuzzed out walls of sound along with all the other instruments that have been building to a crescendo.

"Fire Flies and Empty Skies" reminds me at first of early M83. There is a catchy tune and great guitar work that is supported by fantastic bass and percussion. The keys float spacey sounds in-between all the intricate guitar work and forceful percussion. "A Deafening Distance" fills the speakers with warm keys and jangly guitar. The guitar line has a great hook and really draws the listener into the wall of keys and percussion. "Far off longing" may be at the center of what is communicated in this track and it is beautifully done. Being in Texas now, I kind of know the look of an infinite horizon. God is an Astronaut paints this picture with sound oh so wonderfully on their track "Infinite Horizon." The vast blue sky, the clouds traveling in the wind, and the birds as they interrupt the fastness are all painted into this soundscape. The tempo is slow and patient with glimmering guitar, floating voices, and a blanket of keys.

"Suicide My Star" begins with a very spacey feel and leads into some trippy drum work and great bass and guitar work. I have to say that, since the bass player usually gets short shrift in bands like these, I would like to give Niels props for his work on this disc. He sits in the pocket perfectly and really glues the song together like a bass player needs too. "Suicide My Star" is an excellent example of his subtle work. As the bass and drums dance their slow beat, the keys float amidst them and really lend themselves to the atmosphere created. The song builds and then the drums explode over pipe like keys. The double bass drum really creates an explosive feel to the climax of this song. "Remembrance Day" gives the listener a breather with gorgeous, reverberating piano on a cloud of humming keys. This transforms into a subtle mix of slightly distorted bass, beautiful guitar lines, and a mix of spacey and subtle work on the keys.

"Dust and Echoes" begins with a breezy type set of keys that really remind me of a dry desert on a hot summer day. The samples are odd bumps and clicks mixed in with glimmering guitars and Torsten's soaring voice. Lloyd's drum work is amazing throughout the disc, but this track is especially intricate and perfect. Visually, I see eagles soaring through the United State's Southwest sky over mesas in New Mexico or the dry wastelands of Arizona. Beautiful music that evokes great imagery is always welcome in my player. The last track on All is Violent, All is Bright is a 10 minute track, the longest on the disc, called "When Everything Dies." A strong wind like sound starts out the song with a low hum and minimal piano. Eventually the hum disappears and a spacey key drops in with bass and piano at the fore. A drum track comes into the mix and the volume begins to build. Apparently the band has visuals when they play live and I would love to see how they are interpreting their music visually because the music is very powerful and full of emotive energy. The song fades out at about 6 minutes and there is silence. After about a minute, crackles and pops slowly come into the mix and a very techno sounding synth begins panning in the speakers while a low hum rises in the background. Piano eventually infuses the song with great work on the rides of the drums. And here ends the journey.

Spacey keys, walls of sound, intricate drum and bass work, wonderful guitar and extreme attention to detail make this disc amazing and breathtaking. God is an Astronaut have produced an incredible piece of post-rock music that will stand the test of time. The compositions are perfect and there are no moments of let down or boring lulls. I highly recommend this disc to any music lover. Go buy it now!

This band falls in a genre that I have been discovering lately. Part rock, part alternative, part electronic. Other bands I have been listening to, among others, are Explosion in the Sky, If These Trees Could Talk, and This Will Destroy You. While I enjoy these bands, I believe God is an Astronaut brings something new to the mix. Maybe it's just me, but the way the band creates melodies in which all the instruments come together to create a unique, penetrating sound that just takes you away, makes you feel part of the music, is just stunning. I strongly recommend this album to all fans of the genre, you will not be disapointed! Excellent release, I'm waiting for more.

It's way too hard to track down CDs by God is an Astronaut. The quality of work across their releases is uniformly high and displays a genuinely concise approach: tightly structured, unadorned, precisely detailed pieces that never over stay their welcome, never exhaust their premise. And, so far, their latest is only available in the UK. Silly industry is music!

Before applying the "post rock" label, God is an Astronaut deserves broader consideration. On the continuum between the socially poignant and profoundly innovative work of God Speed You, Black Emperor! to the artful intransigence of Silver Mount Zion, the Gordian Knots of Red Sparrowes and ending in the ditch of the mindlessly dull style scrambles of Explosions in the Sky, this particular God straddles the sweet spot in the center. Not burdened with the politically charged audio verité of the former, unencoded by art house abstraction, and gleefully free of the rampant and clueless guitarism of the latter, the music found on "All is Violent, All is Bright" marks out that hard to set boundary defined by understatement and symmetry.

At times there is the clockwork sort of automatic purity present, first heard on Michael Rother's earliest post- Neu! solo albums (Flammende Hertzen and Katzenmusik). Not loopy, and not nearly as emotionally neutral as Rother, God is an Astronaut is more than capable of developing the most convincing and affecting contrasts of tension and release applied with purpose while staunchly avoiding the outright ostentation of more commonplace and simplistic showmanshipiness. Fine, fine work that encourages active listening as well as offering rewards to those who appreciate consistently subtle timbral atmospherics.

Incredible album, so relaxing. One of the best from God is an Astronaut, every track on All is Violent All is Bright will take you on a journey. Buy this album- you won't regret it.

This is a really good instrumental record, a bit melodic, a bit rock and very ambient. It dabbles just a bit on the more poppy side of things, where I was hoping for more of an indie sound like Caspian and Explosions in the Sky. Still, it's a solid disc.

This album, and God Is An Astronaut in general, are very accessible as far as post rock band goes. Their sound is layered, but not so much that you have to search really hard to find it. It's not like listening to Godspeed You! Black Emperor or Explosions in the Sky. If you have listened to Young Mountain by This Will Destroy You, you will have some sort of idea of what to expect here. However, unlike This Will Destroy You, much of the album either is, or sounds synthesized. I guess my point is that the sound is very polished. For some people, this will be a good thing. For me though, it's the one downside. The songs here are all good, especially Suicide by Star and Dust and Echoes. The sound is loud, all-encompassing, and at times, epic. But when I get in the mood to listen to the post-rock genre, I want something that sounds raw and real.

But if you're not in a particularly masochistic or self-loathing mood, this album is quite good. Too bad if you live in the U.S. buying it new means buying an import. Not really worth paying $30. Really there is no album worth paying that much for. Save yourself some money and download the MP3 version or, if you're like me and like having a physical album, buy used or new from third-party vendors.

The previous reviewers are right on, so I won't add too much besides saying this God is an astronaut album is AMAZING. It's a great experience all the way through....it is reminiscent of Godspeed you black emperor, but without the sometimes questionable vocals : )

It's tough to find a physical copy of this album, but it's worth downloading. You won't regret the purchase if you're into atmospheric post-rock.

It's way too hard to track down CDs by God is an Astronaut. The quality of work across their releases is uniformly high and displays a genuinely concise approach: tightly structured, unadorned, precisely detailed pieces that never over stay their welcome, never exhaust their premise. And, so far, their latest is only available in the UK. Silly industry is music!

Before applying the "post rock" label, God is an Astronaut deserves broader consideration. On the continuum between the socially poignant and profoundly innovative work of God Speed You, Black Emperor! to the artful intransigence of Silver Mount Zion, the Gordian Knots of Red Sparrowes and ending in the ditch of the mindlessly dull style scrambles of Explosions in the Sky, this particular God straddles the sweet spot in the center. Not burdened with the politically charged audio verité of the former, unencoded by art house abstraction, and gleefully free of the rampant and clueless guitarism of the latter, the music found on "All is Violent, All is Bright" marks out that hard to set boundary defined by understatement and symmetry.

At times there is the clockwork sort of automatic purity present, first heard on Michael Rother's earliest post- Neu! solo albums (Flammende Hertzen and Katzenmusik). Not loopy, and not nearly as emotionally neutral as Rother, God is an Astronaut is more than capable of developing the most convincing and affecting contrasts of tension and release applied with purpose while staunchly avoiding the outright ostentation of more commonplace and simplistic showmanshipiness. Fine, fine work that encourages active listening as well as offering rewards to those who appreciate consistently subtle timbral atmospherics.

Though I'm a fan of other post-rock bands like Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky, I had never heard of the oddly-named God Is An Astronaut until they popped up on my last.fm radio. Thankfully they did, as I was quickly mesmerized by their sound, which clearly drew influences from the genre, but was unique at the same time. The first few songs, particularly the title track and "Fragile", are worth listening to several times in a row if need be. Though the album tapers off a bit at the end, this album is a definite keeper in the growing genre of post-rock.

Etheric, it takes your mind away from here. When you need a break from everything God is an Astronaut, he will take you far far away....enjoy the view!