Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!

The return! of! Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

Completely out of the blue, this album turned up unannounced at a GYBE gig in Boston a couple of weeks ago - a far cry from the usual "please please please buy me" overpromotion that most bands sign up to with every release. Anyway, it's now available in proper shops too (yeah, I know - sell outs eh?).

In classic GYBE style, you get something unique with both the vinyl and CD versions, with songs differing in length (I haven't listened to the CD so I can't tell you what is different, I've just noted that the track lengths are different) and sequencing. As always though, the vinyl version is the one to get - a 12" album and a 7" single, both housed in a wonderful elaborate gatefold sleeve with a "spot metallic ink and spot matte varnish" and a poster.

As well as looking good, it sounds great too. The usual beautiful, mournful, uplifiting and aggressive monoliths that you would expect from the band. The sequencing works better on the vinyl with the two long tracks - think classic GYBE symphonies designed to be listened to during a heavy storm - being placed either side of the 12" to make a wonderful 40 minute album, whilst the two shorter "drone" tracks (also good, but an acquired taste akin to Tangerine Dream's "Zeit" or Tony Conrad & Faust's "Beyond The Dream Syndicate") are kept together on the 7" as a beautifully unsettling side dish.