'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 1, 2012 [1] | |||
Recorded | 2011 [2] | |||
Studio | Hotel2Tango, Montreal | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 53:09 [4] | |||
Label | Constellation | |||
Producer | ||||
Godspeed You! Black Emperor chronology | ||||
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'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! (sometimes stylized in all caps) is the fourth studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, released by Constellation Records. It was their first album since 2002's Yanqui U.X.O. . After reforming in 2010, the group went on tour and silently released the album at a concert in Boston [5] on October 1, 2012, with official release dates on October 15 in Europe and the following day in other countries. [1] The album received positive reviews and has been heralded as a comeback for the collective, winning the 2013 Polaris Music Prize. [6]
The album marked the beginning of a major stylistic change for Godspeed You! Black Emperor, being less technically complex and focusing more on drones while abandoning the concept of movements altogether – a compositional format they would continue to employ until 2021's G_d's Pee at State's End! .
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.0/10 [7] |
Metacritic | 81/100 [8] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The A.V. Club | B+ [9] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Independent | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Mojo | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Observer | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 9.3/10 [14] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin | 9/10 [17] |
'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! received positive reviews from critics. Eli Kleman of Sputnikmusic stated that the album has "immeasurable breadth and depth" and is a "truly unforgettable experience". [18] Drowned in Sound 's Andrzej Lukowski said that the release is "a modestly magnificent record that entirely validates" the band reforming. [19] Mark Richardson of Pitchfork also draws a connection between the group's entire output, finishing his review by calling this "an album of music that is both new and old from a band that we thought we might never hear from again, one we should appreciate while we can". [14] Tyler Kane of Paste gave the album an 8.9 out of 10, writing that, "the time-tested tracks not only showcase the band doing what they do best in notoriously long, dramatic, panic-inducing instrumentals but are also startling reminders on why the band was so vital and lead such a movement to begin with". [20] The Guardian 's Dom Lawson gave the album 5 out of 5 stars, because "the Godspeed ethos of wordlessly eliciting universal truths remains as devastatingly effective as ever". [10]
The album was listed 13th on Stereogum's list of top 50 albums of 2012. [21]
The album won the 2013 Polaris Music Prize on September 23, 2013. [22]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Mladic [b] " | 19:54 |
2. | "We Drift Like Worried Fire [b] " | 19:58 |
3. | "Their Helicopters' Sing" | 6:30 |
4. | "Strung Like Lights At Thee Printemps Erable" | 6:31 |
Total length: | 52:53 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Mladic" | 19:59 |
2. | "Their Helicopters' Sing" | 6:30 |
3. | "We Drift Like Worried Fire" | 20:07 |
4. | "Strung Like Lights At Thee Printemps Erable" | 6:31 |
Total length: | 53:07 |
Godspeed You! Black Emperor [23]
Technical personnel [23]
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [24] | 49 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [25] | 118 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [26] | 95 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [27] | 47 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [28] | 94 |
UK Albums (OCC) [29] | 41 |
US Billboard 200 [30] | 45 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [31] | 9 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [32] | 13 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [33] | 18 |