Chroniques et points de vue:

Un incontournable québécois:
C'est loin des projecteurs que Godspeed You Black Emperor ! a concocté Lift Your Skinny Fists…, un impressionnant enregistrement post-rock qui a voyagé discrètement mais sûrement autour du globe. 0n y trouve un travail des atmosphères qui séduit autant qu'il commotionne.

From :
Canada's Godspeed You Black Emperor raise the ante on their already ambitious orchestral rock by releasing a double CD of material as their second full-length album. The group combines the drums and guitar of typical rock-band instrumentation with horns and strings to create a music built around drones and slowly evolving melodic figures. lt rises and falls from delicate introductory passages to unabashed grand climaxes. Their juxtaposition of drums with violins and lush romantic tonality brings to mind Rachel's, but their compositional scale and the pounding repetitive intensity of their dynamic peaks evoke Glenn Branca's The Ascension. Although the two discs are indexed at only two 21-minute tracks each, the package includes a handy road map to the movements into which each is subdivided. The opening piece starts with five minutes of a 15-beat circular melodic pattern that is gradually embellished as the volume swells to an ecstatic roar. The release drops down to a pastoral drone that rebuilds to support an acid-etched guitar solo, which in turn yields to a unified 4/4 kraut rock pound that eventually explodes, leaving behind field recordings of public announcements mingled with wandering late-night Swell Maps piano. The other pieces use a similar set of sonic building blocks to take the listener on comparable journeys. Fans of Godspeed's previous work will be very happy, and the curious might want to hop on board as well. --Bob Bannister

Amazon.ca:
Godspeed You Black Emperor! récidive avec son rock instrumental somptueux et ses paysages musicaux enveloppants dans sa troisième production, Levez vos skinny fists comme antennas to heaven!. Le collectif montréalais – deux batteries, deux basses, trois guitares, un violon et un violoncelle – livre ici un disque double où l'expérimentation sonore, parfois proche du bruitage, se fait plus présente, l'orchestration encore plus riche, la charge émotive toujours puissante.

Les quatre morceaux, d'une vingtaine de minutes chacun, sont divisés en sections qui s'enchaînent à la manière des mouvements d'une symphonie. À partir d'un motif répété en sourdine, Godspeed échafaude de lancinants crescendos, qui aspirent inéluctablement l'auditeur dans des tourbillons de guitares bourdonnantes et de percussions appuyées. La tempête finit par s'apaiser, mais la quiétude cède bientôt le pas à l'intervention lyrique des cordes, à l'irruption solennelle des cuivres, à l'orage affolant des guitares.

Les compositions quasi filmiques du groupe incorporent des voix, captées hors du studio, qui donnent à l'ensemble un incroyable pouvoir d'évocation. lci, un vieil homme se remémore le paradis de sa jeunesse, Coney lsland ; là, un duo de glockenspiel débouche sur des comptines d'enfants, comme autant d'hommages à l'innocence dans un monde en décrépitude. Une sorte d'espérance obstinée, de foi enragée, affleure, malgré les ambiances angoissantes qui baignent l'album. Levez vos skinny fists comme antennas to heaven! est une bouleversante invitation au rêve et au cauchemar de la part d'un groupe qui échappe aux comparaisons. --Noémi Mercier









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Note: - An Orchestral Masterpiece
Since its release in 2000, Godspeed You Black Emperor! has influenced many bands on the art rock scene. When the band formed years ago in Canada, as a nine piece band without any lyrics... well, lets just say Im surprised they made it this far.

The album has the illusion that you are listening to a full orchestra, instead of guitars, basses, pianos, etc. The band has amazing talent, and if you aren't afraid of some odd music for just easy listening, then I think this is a wonderful album.

As 20 minutes go by, you still have the sense that you just listened to about 5 songs, not just one, which is what makes this band so unique. They have the ability to take up so much time, and still have the songs not seem monotonous, which is something which hasnt been achieved since the days of full symphonies that WERE pop music.

This is one of my favorite albums to sit and listen to, especially when I'm reading. You dont get distracted by any lyrics that you have the urge to sing along to, and somehow it is softly comforting.

Comprised of two disks, the first disk to me is beautiful and seems more sculptural. The second disk is more violent, more tomultuous, sadder.

This is a WONDERFUL album, and I strongly recommend it to those fans of art rock or modern classical (oxymoron?) If you prefer something with vocals (okay, so maybe this does have some guy talking about Coney Island and then some little kids singing in French, but im not sure those are "vocals") then I suggest a band like Sigur Ros, who has the same eerie type of landscapes. Rockier, go with Mogwai.

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Note: - Post-rock revelation
Another reviewer commented that Godspeed is a group you like less the more you've heard from them. I have to admit that this has been true for me, so far. After being blown away by the Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada EP, I had high hopes for Skinny Fists that've since been crushed. The music still follows a build-crescendo-build structure, and the guitars in the crescendos aren't always ear-pleasing.

Of course, I haven't given this album four stars just to be generous. It's moving, and very creative within the structure the band has set for itself. It mixes elements of rock, classical music, and even a little electronic ambience. Coupled with the recorded speeches the result could best be described as instrumental Radiohead meets Scanner - but that comparison doesn't do these two discs justice. As Morpheus might say, no one can be told what Skinny Fists sounds like. You have to listen to it yourself.

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Note: - * Stunning, revolutionary, unmissable. ...
The third and most possibly finest offering from the Canada nine is unbelievable. A rich, intense album consisting of 4 'stanzas' of overwhelming music. Appropriately titled, we are introduced to 'Lift Your Skinny Fists..' with 'Storm'- a beautifully bittersweet uplifting piece of music. We then travel through the album with 3 other musical journeys, all equally remarkable. Worth more than just a brief glance, this intense, edgy album will become a firm favourite of apocalyptic rock fans in no time. Amazing.

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Note: - aaaarrgghh my ears!
With a name like "Godspeed You Black Emperor!" you would think that this band are either a no-brainer death-metal combo or a weird japanese band like Merzbow, or Boom Boom Satellites and when you discover that one of the tracks on this album is called "Cancer Towers on Holy Road Hiway" you would be inclined to think the former, but Godspeed You Black Emperor are a far cry from this, and they are probably as close as you'll get to classical music for the 21st Century After the apocalyptic feel of "fsharpasharp(infinity)"and the the deathly drone of "new riot for zero kanada e.p." ,"lift your skinny fists..." is the glorious phoenix from the flames for the Canadian post-rock nine-piece and this is clearly evident after hearing the albums opening few minutes. Titled "Storm" the first track stirs slowly and then builds up, layer on layer with a marching drumbeat feel and loads of guitarnoise and cello and stuff, but it never climaxes, but just peters out, and the album stays pretty still for a while. About twenty minutes in and there is some kind of grating mexican showdown, which transforms into what can only be described as aliens doing a cover version of "Providence" by Sonic Youth. The album is full of inspired moments (which I can't name because i can't follow the damned diagram that came in the packaging) like about halfway through the final track "Lift Yr Skinny Fists" there is some beautiful echoey glockenspiel stuff which explodes into a full band rock-out with violins crying out in the background. There is lots of background noise of people talking , similar to Mogwai,like on disc 2 there is a minute of this guy called Murray Ostril remeniscing over how good Coney Island used to be. Lots of "Lift..." has triumphant moments and the only thing that annoys me is that it falls asleep inbetween those moments sometimes, its certainly strenuous trying to listen to the whole thing in one go, but it is worth it, as these guys have put my faith back into music. Just don't try and do a cover version of any of their stuff.

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Note: - * Relaxing music to read to. ...
I bought this CD last week and I think that it is great. I think the melodies are very catchy and well written and the dialog suites the music. I usually listen to this CD when I am reading or going to sleep. Anyone who enjoys relaxing but noisy music will enjoy this title.