It's a Saturday afternoon and I'm at present stuck at work flipping through a copy of the latest Alternative Press magazine. Good literature it isn't, an easy read between calls it is. This particular issue sitting in my lap contains a feature on the hundred bands that are going to be "taking over" in '06; i.e. rammed down my unwilling throat. Your average AP reader (my sedate Saturday afternoon self included) is not interested in lots of big words and fancy linguistic turns of phrase; we want new bands to listen to and we want them now. To aid myself and my lazy brethren, AP provides a handy "For Fans of..." along with each band in their top one hundred list. In my present state this appeals to me a great deal, however the problem with it becomes glaringly obvious from the start: I like Wire but detest The Rakes, Refused used to frequently blow my mind but I can think of few hardcore bands more drab than The Warriors, and as for Big Black and Selfish Cunt being mentioned within the same breathe!? Get to fuck. None the less, the concept itself has grabbed me by the cranium and won't let go; as such I will hazard a guess that The Sea, Like Lead and Belegost will appeal to fans of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky and Pelican.
If your mind has already skipped to the "big crescendos with minimal or no vocal accompaniment" page then you wouldn't be on the wrong track, but back up kiddo, don't dismiss this just yet. The blueprint itself might be curled at the edges but the follow through is well and truly there. The Sea, Like Lead's two tracks are what I'd image being trapped at sea is like. Lame analogy off the starboard bow! It's all plain sailing to begin with, but then, oh fuck, a giant wave comes out of nowhere toppling your boat, throwing you off course and into general disarray. What follows is the acceptance of fate and a stranded solitary voice speaking hard to decipher words. Both "Anticline/Syncline" and "Twilight of the Gods" rely on textures and desolate mood, empty bombast is nowhere to be found.
The true surprise, for me at least, of this record lies with the third and final track. "Nightwalker/ Deergod" is my one and only encounter with Belegost, but I hope it isn't my last. The first five minutes are a stalking hum, as the music builds around you feverishly trying to escape its own constraints before the inevitable happens and it breaks free. And it lets you know it. If The Sea, Like Lead's tracks had the progressive elements of the second disc of Lift Yr Skinny Fists like Antenna to Heaven then "Nightwalker/ Deergod" has the unmitigated explosive elements of the first.
If, like me, the new Mono album left you scrambling for some Kelly Clarkson to ease the tedium and Mr. Beast seemed to be lacking something to push it beyond the realms of mediocrity, then this is perhaps the record for you. Welcome back to the days when bands like Godspeed shattered earths and played amongst the rubble.
