Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress is the fifth studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, released on 31 March 2015 by Constellation Records. The album was recorded with Electrical Audio engineer Greg Norman in North Carolina and Montreal,[1][12] and was the first to feature completely new material since the band's reformation in 2010.[13] It is also, with the exception of the vinyl version of F♯ A♯ ∞ (ignoring the locked groove), the group's shortest album to date, timing in at just forty minutes.
| Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 31 March 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2013–14 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Length | 40:23[1] | |||
| Label | Constellation | |||
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 84/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| The A.V. Club | A−[4] |
| Drowned in Sound |   [5] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[6] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
| Paste | 9.3/10[8] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[9] |
| Spin | [10] |
| Sputnikmusic | [11] |
The album was announced on 24 February 2015; the group also shared an excerpt of "Peasantry or 'Light! Inside of Light!'" on SoundCloud.[14] On 24 March 2015, Constellation streamed the album on their SoundCloud.
Critical reception
editAt Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from music critics, the album has received an average score of 84, indicating "universal acclaim".[2]
Pitchfork rated the album 7.6 out of a possible 10 and Mark Richardson described the album as a "different kind of transaction" and that while listening to the album "You have to let your guard down" as that Godspeed "transforms feelings into compelling records. They're still on track."[15] Writing for Exclaim!, Nilan Perera called the record "a beautiful, concise blast that conveys this band's musical essence".[6]
Track listing
editThe album's four tracks are based on "Behemoth", played live numerous times since 2012 and previously recorded onstage for the concert series We Have Signal.[16]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Peasantry or 'Light! Inside of Light!'" | 10:28 |
| 2. | "Lambs' Breath" | 9:52 |
| 3. | "Asunder, Sweet" | 6:13 |
| 4. | "Piss Crowns Are Trebled" | 13:50 |
Personnel
editGodspeed You! Black Emperor
edit- Thierry Amar – bass guitar, double bass
- David Bryant – electric guitar, Portasound, organ, drones
- Aidan Girt – drums
- Timothy Herzog – drums and drones
- Efrim Menuck – electric guitar
- Mike Moya – electric guitar
- Mauro Pezzente – bass guitar
- Sophie Trudeau – violin, drones
- Karl Lemieux – 16mm film projections
Technical personnel
edit- Greg Norman – recording, mixing
- Harris Newman at Greymarket – mastering
Charts
edit| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)[17] | 37 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[18] | 179 |
| US Billboard 200[19] | 129 |
References
edit- ^ a b "GY!BE - 'Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress' - Constellation Records". Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ a b "Metacritic Review". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- ^ "Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress". AllMusic. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- ^ "Godspeed You! Black Emperor punctuates chaos with hope". The A.V. Club. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ "Album Review: Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ a b Perera, Nilan (31 March 2015). "Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress". Exclaim!. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
- ^ Costa, Maddy (26 March 2015). "Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress review – a resolute, defiant return". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ "Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress Review". Paste Magazine. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ "Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- ^ "Review: Godspeed You! Black Emperor Renew Their Orchestral Bombast on 'Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress'". Spin. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ "Sputnikmusic Review". Sputnikmusic. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- ^ "Godspeed You! Black Emperor – "Pleasantry Or 'Light! Inside of Light'" (Excerpt) & 'Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress' Details". 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ Music, Guardian (25 February 2015). "Godspeed You! Black Emperor announce new album". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ "Godspeed You! Black Emperor Announce New Album Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress". Pitchfork. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ "Godspeed You! Black Emperor Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress Review". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ Empire, Kitty (29 March 2015). "Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress review – threat and grandeur". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ "Godspeed You Black Emperor | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Godspeed You Black Emperor – Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "Godspeed You Black Emperor Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 November 2015.