32.
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
THE EARTH IS NOT A COLD DEAD PLACEPost-Rock
released November 4th, 2003
via Temporary Residence
1. First Breath After Coma [9:33]
2. The Only Moment We Were Alone [10:14]
3. Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean [8:43]
4. Memorial [8:50]
5. Your Hand in Mine [8:17]
THE EARTH IS NOT A COLD DEAD PLACE is
Michael James (Guitars / Bass)
Munaf Rayani (Guitars)
Mark T. Smith (Guitars)
Christopher Hrasky (Drums)
Something different! This could be one of the most emotional albums on the list and it doesn’t contain a single lyric.
In the realm of post-rock, a lot of bands love to take their time and have no problem playing double-digit length tracks for the sake of mood and atmosphere. Looking at you, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, although I love them regardless. Explosions justifies their song lengths. Each track ebbs and flows with elegance, and roars to life when the story it tells reaches a climactic point. And that’s what each song is, a little story in its own, told by three guitars and a drummer. There’s a love for reverb and tremolo picking to create a tidal wave of emotion in the form of a wall of distortion. The songs often layer tremolo picking of higher notes over a rhythm guitar that hammers away at the same note; sometimes a third guitar part will continue picking the gentle motif as all this continues, while the drums crash and roar around it all.
That’s a good description of what the album is. To me, it’s something you just need to hear, you need to experience it - and you need to be patient with it. Not so much as other post rock bands that are in no hurry to get to the finish line, but every track here is over 8 minutes, and like a story, you need to let it roll in its own time. There are strong melodic motifs and a lot of emphasis on bringing out the emotion in the melodies. “The Only Moment We Were Alone” cruises along with a gentle, happy sleigh bell rhythm underneath a beautiful, clean, wintery guitar riff, and towards the end just when you think it’s ending on a quiet note, it comes screaming back with full force, raging briefly before dying out, like a sonic supernova. It’s such a lovely piece of music, it’s my #1 favorite post-rock song.
In Summary: Gorgeous instrumental music. Put on some headphones, relax, and let this music soak in. It’s one of the most beautiful albums I can think of, and I can’t praise it enough. I’ve spent countless late nights driving through the flat countryside out here playing this album and it’s the perfect “alone” music to listen to. It’s a musical friend that I’m always willing to listen to.
Katt’s Favorites: First Breath After Coma,
The Only Moment We Were Alone,
Your Hand In MineListen to "The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place" by Explosions In The Sky on Spotify
Topic: Katt's Top 50 Albums v. I bless the rains down in Africa [#1] (Read 67730 times)