God is an Astronaut - God is an Astronaut

God is an Astronaut are a band who are hailed not only for their musical abilities, but also for their self-edited video footage and lighting; their visuals taking on equal value to their music during live performances. How, then, does their self-titled fourth album fare without the lights and special effects?

The answer, luckily, is very well indeed. Opener, “Shadows”, begins calmly, lulling the listener into a false sense of security, before the Irish three-piece attack with all barrels blazing. Piano, fuzzy guitars and pulsating drums lend this track a traditional rock feel; however the melodies and rhythms belong in a class of their own.

The album sprawls onwards through “Post Mortem” and “Echoes”, before reaching its quieter moments on “Snowfall” and “First Day of Sun”. Gentle guitars and delicate synths grace the speakers on “Snowfall”, before giving way to a heavy instrumental ballad, the power and beauty of the melodies shining through the noise. “First Day of Sun”, on the other hand, is calm and serene, and its melodic acoustic guitars provide a welcome break from the distorted guitars of the previous tracks.

The album then moves on to the storming “No Return”. At over seven minutes long, on paper this song should drag out. However, after listening, you come to appreciate just what it is that has allowed God is an Astronaut to last for four albums. Delayed guitars feature in the minimalist-inspired intro, which leads into an exciting guitar riff that will stay in your head long after listening. It is here that Torsten, Niels and Lloyd really excel, producing a masterpiece of alternative rock: the ideas and abilities that they have individually displayed previously coming together as one.

“Zodiac” is another track which attacks your stereo with energy and vigour. It’s almost as if, spurred on by “No Return”, the boys are in overdrive, producing pure nuggets of post-rock mastery. Building up and breaking down in equal measures, synthesizers blend here with hard rock to create a track that has to be heard to be believed.

Never ones to let a listener become to comfortable, however, God is an Astronaut once again turn the tables, and have produced a hauntingly beautiful track in “Remaining Light”. This piano-driven, relatively guitar-free track once again provides a resting point in between the walls of noise, and lets the listener settle, before throwing them right back in at the deep end with “Shores of Orion”. Primal drumming gives way to the joys of rock as, once again, the boys of County Wicklow bring out killer riffs and intricate interlacing melodies.

Album closer “Loss” replicates the journey taken by the listener whilst enjoying this album. A quiet introduction makes way for classic post-rock guitar lines and synthesizer hooks, mimicking the highs and lows of the album as a whole.

Despite the slightly apocalyptic track titles, and the repetitiveness that opponents of instrumental music may feel, this album is full of hope for all fans of post-rock instrumentalism. Following in the footsteps of Mogwai and 65daysofstatic, God is an Astronaut are a force to be reckoned with in the world of instrumental rock.

God is an Astronaut’s self-titled fourth album is out now via Revive Records. They have a new album due in Autumn 09, and are playing a whole host of festival dates this summer. Check out their MySpace page for an exclusive free single.

Find out more about God is an Astronaut by visiting www.myspace.com/godisanastronaut or http://www.godisanastronaut.com/

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