Jesu - Silver (EP)
Hydra Head
Ambient Metal
4 songs (28'39")
Release year: 2006
Bandcamp, Hydra Head
Reviewed by Adam
Jesu, the brainchild of former Godflesh front man Justin Broadrick, returns with Silver, a four song EP that picks up right where the critically acclaimed self-titled opus of a year ago left off. While Silver shares many qualities with its predecessor, specifically from the song Tired of Me, it embraces an overall more post rock sound. All songs once again clock in at over six minutes and require a dedicated listen.

Silver begins with the title track, a post rock meets metal gem that engulfs the listener from moment one. Imagine if Sigur Ros distorted their guitars to the point of near static, and you might have an idea of how Silver sounds. Broadrick merely aids a beautiful mixture of lush guitars and a slow and driving rhythm section with his soft vocals, staggered and layered to resemble an echo. I could not help but visualize beautiful scenes of nature while bathing in this track's hypnotizing embrace.

Star, the following track, begins with a drum intro that sounds very industrial in nature and similar to Godflesh. However, once Broadrick introduces the guitars and various ambient effects into the fold, the song reverts back to the tone of the opening track, lulling the listener into a trance with its multi-faceted elegant soundscape.

A swirling keyboard (at least I think it’s a keyboard) begins the next track, Wolves. These keys are quickly overpowered by a droning bass and synth combination, which is in turn overpowered by a low doom-esque riff. These constant additions are the highlight of the album, as a single sound so miniscule is surrounded with countless instruments and effects while never quite fading away. There are so many ingredients to this beautiful mixture that it must be heard multiple times in order to fully grasp.

The closer, Dead Eyes, is the true drone piece of the album, beginning with a reverse played guitar line that is soon followed by a synthesized bass line and vocals that sound as if they are coming out of an organ. This continues until around the midpoint of the song, where the vocals drop deep into the background and are followed by the bass until the reverse guitar line is all that is left. A thick guitar riff breaks the near silence before all parts slowly fade into nothing at the song’s conclusion.

An eloquent and dynamic release, Silver should delight both fans of Jesu and those of post rock. It is an emotionally soothing and darkly beautiful set, which demands to be listened to in its entirety (made much easier by its 28+ minute running time). Broadrick’s compositions have definitely taken a step forward and show much promise for the future of Jesu.
Killing Songs :
Silver, Wolves
Adam quoted no quote
Other albums by Jesu that we have reviewed:
Jesu - Never (EP) reviewed by Goat and quoted no quote
Jesu - Every Day I Get Closer to the Light From Which I Came reviewed by Goat and quoted 75 / 100
Jesu - Ascension reviewed by Goat and quoted 80 / 100
Jesu - Opiate Sun reviewed by James and quoted no quote
Jesu - Infinity reviewed by James and quoted 52 / 100
To see all 8 reviews click here
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