New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light
Critic Score
Based on 20 reviews
2013 Ratings: #109 / 1115
User Score
Based on 137 ratings
2013 Rank: #91
Liked by 11 people
April 30, 2013 / Release Date
LP / Format
Constellation / Label
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
Tiny Mix Tapes

To See More Light is the most dynamic and sonically prismatic album of the trilogy, and yet it manages to retain all of Stetson’s music’s singular attributes and poignancies

90
musicOMH

His work on To See More Light exhibits powerful, brave juxtapositions and contrasts.

90
Consequence of Sound

Vol 3: To See More Light is his strongest and most cohesive collection in his career, aided in large part by the head-turning vocals of Justin Vernon, who appears on four of the 11 tracks on the album.

85
Beats Per Minute

With additional help from fellow musician and frequent collaborator Justin Vernon, the songs on To See More Light are as devastatingly personal as they are emphatically otherworldly—inhuman sounding even.

81
Pitchfork

Heard as the closing chapter in Stetson’s trilogy, To See More Light feels essentially like more: it’s more intense, more sprawling, both darker and lighter simultaneously. 

80
Drowned in Sound

For its abrasiveness, brute force, and determination to push the instrument to its limits, Stetson’s New History Warfare 3 should delight anyone bored with noise, power electronics, industrial, and post-rock

80
AllMusic

With New History Warfare, Vol. 3, Stetson explores scorched landscapes and heavenly scenes alike with his stylized playing. 

80
SPIN

Like most free jazz, it's music of the moment, a work of granular epiphanies that accrete, finally, into a magnificent whole.

75
Under the Radar

In many ways, New History Warfare Vol. 3 marks no great departure from previous releases, but don't let this deter you-Stetson has ventured into uncharted territory, and the heretofore-unheard sounds that he's brought back are utterly bewitching. 

70
The 405

I'd seen Stetson's music defined far too broadly as 'jazz' before, and it put me off back then, but his new record is a fascinating listen that's worth anyone's time.

70
FACT Magazine

While To See More Light picks up smoothly where its predecessor left off, it certainly doesn’t feel like Stetson has exhausted the potential of his highly specified method.

70
No Ripcord

The album is stacked with jaw-dropping moments, underpinned by seismic emotional shifts.

Plats
92

[My 1,000th Review!!!]

Colin Stetson makes an even more fantastic leap on "To See More Light", using his hums on the mouthpiece and the spiraling sax work to make an even creepier, if not intimate, atmosphere than ever before. The title track and "Among the Sef" are fantastic examples of this. Add to that the vocals from Justin Vernon and some jaw-dropping moments and you have one of his finest works to date, even if its predecessor felt a bit more cohesive.

Fav Tracks: To ... read more

82

wonderful

MFDOOMsburner
88

I'm so happy Colin is doing the soundtrack for the Uzumaki anime, that is going to be so sick.

This was amazing, he deserves so much more recognition.

ReapertheJelly
90

The first thing I heard from this album was Among the Sef when I was on the verge of a psychotic break in 2021, and to say that made me hesitant to check out the entire album would be an understatement. However, after having listened to the entire album in full, I regret not doing so earlier, this album is a stunning treat for the ears that instills emotions that shouldn't exist. Chaotic and yet cohesive as a whole project, all the tracks feel like they bleed into each other yet they are all ... read more

Hegg
90

Probably my favorite Colin Stetson album

MagnetoJenkins
80

The amount of shining optimism this exudes can honestly be seen as corny. But I think it's too artistically intriguing to simply set it aside like that.

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Added on: January 29, 2013