Godspeed You! Black Emperor Brings Us Hope in These Dark Times

Who better to profoundly convey the disquieting turmoil of our recent times than Montreal post-rock legends Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The collective played the second of two nights at Montreal’s venerable MTELUS, in support of their eighth release, the sobering and instantly dated, No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead. A direct reference to the death toll in Palestine at that date, the title is exemplary of Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s confrontational and reactionary ethos, one they’ve spent decades coupling with resonant sounds sopped in a pendulum of morbidness and beauty.

And that (generally) is the impetus to attend a Godspeed You! Black Emperor concert; Should you be searching for meaningful assembly, a clarity of sorts to desponding 2024 realities, or even much-needed reassurance on immeasurably harsh truths, then MTelus was the place to congregate. With black the informal garb, loyal fans congregated unostentatiously, bobbing heads to the occasional lick while expressing their mirth in a reserved fashion. 

Things kicked off promptly at eight with a set by Montreal experimental rock outfit Big Brave, who marshalled their chaos with fervour. Minimal, purple lighting served to configure the foursome, who were content drawing attention to the fierce reverb and stridency as singer-guitarist Robin Wattie’s vocals pierced exquisitely through the pressing din. With crashing toms and low bass waves shuddering thoroughly through our nerve endings, Big Brave proved to be an exemplary curtain-raiser for Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s brand of apocalyptic soundscape. 

With MTelus near to capacity by the time the octet appeared, the crowd became tempered, opening themselves to another plain as a discordant drone oversaw Karl Lemieux’s experimental 16mm projections, a staple at Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s performances. Marrying beguiling imagery with an affable dissonance, opener “Hope Drone” set an effectual standard for the two-hour set we were in store for, with instances of hope amid cryptic images of imperialistic suffering. Violinist Sophie Trudeau provided respite, appeasing the steadfast raucousness emitted by her bandmates, including two drummers and supreme double-bassist Thierry Amar. Bathed in sepia, their bellicose counterpoint grew solemn, only to crescendo into a litany subjugated by images of riots, firestorms, and windowless cityscapes. A quick look around showed audience members in a trance-like state, ebbing stoically to the sights and sounds. One man could be seen sitting motionless with his chin buried into his chest, ruminating throughout.  

Persisting through opuses like the dense and unassuming “Fire at Static Valley” and “First of the Last Glaciers” from the band’s 2021 record G d's Pee at State's End! proved to be overbearingly demanding to some spectators, who could be seen donning jackets ninety minutes into the set, sufficiently sated. Admittedly, at 12 to fifteen minutes per piece, GYBE’s arrangements were an onslaught, providing little equanimity. By the time the infamous tones of dour closer “The Sad Mafioso” rang throughout MTelus, the crowd was roused and feeling fulfilled, even hopeful. Awakening from our fever dream as we shuffled tacitly towards the exits, Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s noise served to inspire us, if only for a moment before the silt settled back in our souls.

Donald is the host of Eastern Promises, a show about the inspiring and influential music of Atlantic Canada, Sundays 8:00PM-9:00PM