Even without the idea that Luciferian Towers is a grand statement beyond music, it’s still a functionally and otherwise dazzling work, one that sits nicely among the band's compositions.
Luciferian Towers is a better album than Asunder. I’d venture that it’s even better than 2012’s Allelujah! Don’t Bend, Ascend! by virtue of its interludes not being completely disposable. It’s less bold than their earliest and best work (I wish they’d make another double LP one of these days), but it bodes well for their future, and stands as one of the best albums of the year.
In a way, this new one—the band’s third since reuniting in 2011—feels like a bookend to Lift, in that it’s similarly powerful, but far more sinister.
Luciferian Towers is the strongest record yet since the reforming of the band. Even after so long, the band can still release an album that’s fresh and powerful. And they show yet again that their ability to reflect the times in their music has only grown.
The wistful elegance of the music makes Luciferian Towers a peculiarly gorgeous portrayal of our threatening political reality. Xenophobia is on the rise and we seem to be on the brink of nuclear war, but at least we’ve got this album to provide the soundtrack.
The sprawling Montreal ensemble [is] back at their most spirited, their Weltschmerz poured into wordless music of soaring transcendence and, on occasion, fierce beauty.
Perhaps out of necessity, the group seem more inspired here than they have in a while, and the result is arguably their best work since their 2000 opus Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven.
These are dark times indeed, but albums like Luciferian Towers help to provide a guiding light.
While Luciferian Towers isn’t the shortest Godspeed album at 44 minutes — it runs four minutes longer than Asunder — it may be its most consistently emphatic. And perhaps because of that, the album never quite propels itself to the peaks of its predecessors; there are climaxes, but nothing touching the oppressive, cathartic explosions that cap off “Rockets Fall Over Rocket Falls” or “Piss Crowns Are Trebled”.
Hanging on to individual elements of its past, Godspeed You! Black Emperor is slowly reinventing its sound, working on its intricacies and dynamics, focusing on different elements and trying to awaken different emotions.
Furious in intent but musically restrained, Luciferian Towers is the bands manifesto.
Ultimately it feels like one beautifully-realised idea, when even their Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada EP featured two. It would have been cool if it was a double with another movement of music, I guess. But frankly it still feels pretty incredible to only have such trivial criticisms to make of the band in 2017: now deep into middle age, perhaps Godspeed are slowing down a little, but their music and their rage remain undimmed and beautiful.
Godspeed continue to prove they are masters of fashioning sonic atmospheres, no matter how quiet, no matter how huge.
"Luciferian Towers" is the first Godspeed album we didn't need.
I'm mostly indifferent, but it ended strongly, so I'll give it props on that. I felt as if they were just doddling around, waiting for an interesting idea to pop up. I'm clueless as to when that idea popped up, but I'm optimistic that it did happen, and I missed it. Who really knows?
gybe discog run
i listened to this like a year ago, it was my intro to gybe.
best song: none tbh but Anthem for No State is good.
worst song; fam famine is ass
How the fuck...? Why?! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THIS?!
Everyone's out here telling me that this is the most underrated album from them just because Fantano gave it a 5, and I'm telling you that this by far the most overrated thing I've heard from this band. It's not awful - it's not even close to being bad! - but it's just so bland and samey and is EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEIR PREVIOUS RELEASE! That alone makes it the weakest and most overrated thing that Godspeed You have released up to this ... read more
This was the last record I listened to when I did a godspeed marathon and it was just not as good as the rest of their discography. Not a single time will I ever listen to this over lift your skinny fists, f#a#infinity or even asunder sweet. The only "mid" record in an absolute perfect catalogue otherwise
1 | Undoing a Luciferian Towers 7:47 | 74 |
2 | Bosses Hang 14:45 | 80 |
3 | Fam / Famine 6:44 | 65 |
4 | Anthem for No State 14:38 | 82 |
#5 | / | Norman Records |
#39 | / | Piccadilly Records |
#57 | / | Under the Radar |
#68 | / | Rough Trade |
#78 | / | Louder Than War |