God Is an Astronaut
Embers


3.5
great

Review

by surskit USER (3 Reviews)
October 28th, 2024 | 14 replies


Release Date: 09/06/2024 | Tracklist

Review Summary: More sitar and more shamanic drums make the Gods ... something something.

God Is An Astronaut returns with Embers, a sprawling, proggy epic that modestly pushes their sound forwards. Embers delivers a dark, atmospheric journey, showcasing the band’s penchant for complex compositions and bombastic climaxes. Tracks like "Apparition" and "Embers" charge forward with raw energy, going through multiple movements in the process, while "Falling Leaves", "Odyssey", "Heart of Roots" and closer "Hourglass" bring an ambient beauty, blending Torsten Kinsella’s familiar dreamy vocals with lush synths, emotive keys and sweeping strings.

The album’s depth is further enhanced by guest musicians. Jo Quail’s cello adds a subtle richness to the heavier tracks and takes the lead on haunting interludes like "Realms" and "Prism". Dara O’Brien contributes sitar and shamanic drums among other instruments, infusing an experimental edge that punctuates the album without feeling too gimmicky, helping establish a consistent thematic atmosphere throughout.

Stylistically, Embers recalls the dark vibe of 2015’s Helios Erebus but with an even blacker, heavier scope. The lengthy, intricate compositions and somber tones might feel too demanding at times, but ultimately, Embers proves a compelling evolution from 2021’s mediocre Ghost Tapes #10 and stands on par with the deeply atmospheric (and rather misunderstood) Epitaph. For fans of progressive, atmospheric rock, this is more than worth your time.


user ratings (38)
3.4
great

Comments:Add a Comment 
foxblood
October 28th 2024


11243 Comments


This band is consistently a waste of time ever since Far from Refuge.

cylinder
October 28th 2024


3066 Comments


yep

chemicalmarriage
October 29th 2024


4507 Comments


Fuck yea a Dara O'Brien sitar solo

SitarHero
October 30th 2024


14793 Comments


Did somebody say more Sitar?

Mongi123
October 30th 2024


22093 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

@foxblood



Says you. There’s such an extreme bias against post rock because aPPaRanTlY iTs dED.

Pho3nix
October 30th 2024


1681 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

Not a huge fan of the last three releases, these are veering on a 2.0 for me. Their last good effort was Helios/Erebus imo



I would however strongly rec the All Is Violent, All Is Bright live record from 2021

Pho3nix
October 30th 2024


1681 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

Maybe I should give this another listen

Nomos2
October 30th 2024


1998 Comments


"go crazy?"
don't mind if I do!"

nice Summary lol

Scoot
October 30th 2024


22754 Comments


can't believe these guys are still doing their thing

Mongi123
October 30th 2024


22093 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

And they’re still worth listening to. They don’t make anything exceptional or anything with a towering influence anymore, just fun entertaining post rock.

Dunpeal
October 31st 2024


4454 Comments


we live in a society

foxblood
November 1st 2024


11243 Comments


'says me' no says the average ratings you silly, clearly there are diminishing returns in the fanbase. All Is Violent, All Is Bright is probably the best post-rock out there and everything else since is just milking it with ok-at-best to below average slop

DreamAgain
November 2nd 2024


2489 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

I feel like there's a distinct lack of ability for listeners to differentiate sounds when it comes to post-rock. Go to the review section for any post-rock band on here, even the ones that stand alone at the top like Evpatoria Report, pg.lost, Mogwai, Yndi Halda, etc. and you'll find the exact same descriptors levied against every single one of them. That they are all somehow extremely generic and do nothing differently to progress the genre. Yet somehow, perhaps magically, they all sound very distinct from one another.



Having said that, the hooks from this album (and most of this bands dico in general) simply don't do anything for me.

Mongi123
November 2nd 2024


22093 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Right, it gets so much hate. it’s almost as if post rock was like specially made for an austistic guy like me. It calms me down, and I can even make out distinctly engaging and not engaging post rock.



You have to be logged in to post a comment. Login | Create a Profile





STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS // CONTACT US

Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


Site Copyright 2005-2023 Sputnikmusic.com
All Album Reviews Displayed With Permission of Authors | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy