Search - Jesu :: Conqueror

A Good record- but not great...

M. R. Golde | 11/06/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Well, I bought this CD the moment it was released. (I had actually heard before it was out- but...) What's my verdict? The opening title track is catchy in it's crawling hypnotic groove- heavy guitars and sung vocals. Since Justin Broadrick killed off Godflesh in 01' he's actually been singing. Each release shows Broadrick getting more and more bold in his attempt at singing traditionally- the results are hit and miss. Mostly- it's a hit. Some tracks while good don't quite live up to repeated listens quite the way earlier Jesu and Godflesh does, but having said that- it's still is solid. Recommended tracks: "Medicine"- which has the hookiest vocal melody ever by Justin w/possibly one of the heaviest guitar sounds of the band's career. "Mother Earth" while at first feels plotty- launches into a sonic assault of slowed down doom the likes of which Cathedral wishes they could pull off. (With all due respect) Are there a few meandering moments here and there? Yes. But it doesn't overshadow what's good about the record."

Unfortunately, the best music is always confrontational.

Pharaoh | Erie, PA | 03/30/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Man, how cool would it be to be Justin Broadrick? Not the view-from-the-end-of-a-noose part, but the genre-defying credibility part. Guy's got so much cred folks bow down on the street when he passes. When he goes out, anyway. And even though he's been steadily mining emo territory since disbanding metal misanthropes Godflesh, when he puts down the gun and picks up a pen we find reason to care all over again. And well, Conqueror changes not a god damn thing. The funeral march shoegaze of "Old Year" reminds me, abstractly, of "We All Falter" from 2004's self-titled ("Now you're stuck in the old year/ but I believe in the new year" is crude but effective), and the buoyant, almost poppy "Medicine" introduces jangly guitars while still keeping the tempo at a lethargic crawl. I kept waiting for a heavier moment like "Man/Woman" off the first LP, but it never comes. And therein lies the problem. While thematically strong, musically Conqueror is one of the most stilted and repetitive CD's I've ever heard. There's nothing wrong with keeping it simple - Broadrick's made a career out of it - but this is just too much. The cymbals crash, Broadrick wails, whine, rinse and repeat. There's nothing here to suggest Broadrick is branching out or incorporating other sounds into his repertoire. Damn it, I need some aggression with my angst! Like all Hydra Head releases, Conqueror benefits from nice packaging and layout, but there's something missing that prevents it from being the head turner that Jesu and Silver (and Heartache) were. Still, it'll take more then a couple of speedbumps to derail Jesu's cult status among the faithful. If you're a fan of meditative, introspective music, put this on and prepared to be conquered."

Soul-searching and serene

F. Dahmen | Melbourne, Australia. | 07/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Very promptly and safely delivered to my door.

This post-metal album is meditative, touching and uplifting. The tempo of most songs is slow and soul-searching, so all the melodies and different instruments can be absorbed at a comfortable pace. Vocals add another level of substance and the accompanying artwork is fitting.

Lyrics included."