Review: God Is An Astronaut ‘Embers’

2005 was the year that I began my obsessive absorption of music. It started with nu-metal a year or two prior but in 2005 I was actively looking for music and exploring genres I have overlooked. Around that time, I came across a song All Is Violent, All Is Bright. I must have listened to that song thousands of times but never really dove farther into the God Is An Astronaut catalog. I was making a beeline towards punk and grunge at that time.

Over the next fifteen years, All Is Violent, All Is Bright would be revisited many times, but it wasn’t until around 2020 that I truly appreciated post-rock, which is also the time I started writing for The Sleeping Shaman (wow, time flies). Listening to Russian Circles, Explosions In The Sky, This Will Destroy You and If These Trees Could Talk reintroduced me to the genre that I’m still obsessed with.

It was time to take the inevitable deep dive in the world of God Is An Astronaut. I of course started with All Is Violent, All Is Bright and worked my way through the masterpiece of an album. Each release brought to light a unique aspect of the band and pushed their limits. We’re not here to discuss their discography, however, so I’ll skip ahead.

God Is An Astronaut is back ‘with a freshly crafted studio album’. Embers consists of nine moving tracks that pull an assortment of emotions from within the listener throughout the almost hour-long saga. Apparition begins the instrumental journey with a melancholy feel as the smooth guitar arpeggio sets the tone. Each instrument is off on its own adventure at the start and come colliding back together as the haunting distorted tones take over and capture the listener.

Falling Leaves is up next. Beauty In Falling Leaves by YOB is one of my all-time favorite songs and with a similar title, I can’t help but get excited for what’s about to unfold. The guitar is minimally distorted with cavernous reverb filling out the tone and it immediately reminds me of earlier God Is An Astronaut days. I mentioned this album being an emotional journey and when this song picks up, there is an overwhelming feeling of joy (which is unusual in the music I tend to pick). With the weather starting to cool off and the leaves beginning to turn to amber, it’s definitely a perfect time to absorb this song.

If you love the fantasy genre then Odyssey should be an essential listen. What feels like a bard creating the soundtrack of adventure, the third track of the album expands on the foundation laid by the first two. The trio introduced a wide variety of instruments to expand the sonic landscape with ‘sitar, cello, zither, shamanic drums, bowed psaltery, chimes and tanpura’. These unique sounds are layered in from the beginning, but I feel they become more prominent in Odyssey which suits the song perfectly.

Heart Of Roots takes the spotlight next. The song ebbs and flows with intensity which could be seen as the ups and downs of life but having the bass play throughout and sometimes the only thing heard would be the roots that keep you grounded throughout life.

God Is An Astronaut does an incredible job at getting you lost in the music…

The title track, Embers, begins with a crescendo of droning sounds. For some reason, title tracks typically aren’t my favorite of an album, but God Is An Astronaut breaks that streak with Embers. The crescendo of drones reaches its climax with Vicarious vibes from Tool’s 10,000 Days. The trio switch up the song as quickly as embers form and fade in the sky. Towards the middle, the band returns to a droning section that almost runs too long. As I start to lose interest and let my mind wander, the drums come cascading in and with it, recapturing my attention.

Realms is a near five-minute chill-out track to drift off into other… realms. The ambience paints an image of floating through the James Webb telescope images with their vast beauty. Flying past the Pillars of Creation, through the Southern Ring Nebula before reaching the Cosmic Cliffs by the conclusion. God Is An Astronaut does an incredible job at getting you lost in the music, and I warn you not to listen to this in the car because as I soared through space listening to Realms, I also sped right past my exit on the way to work.

Oscillation enters next with wavering guitar that continually builds and yet again, the appropriately titled song sets the expectations early. I get strong Russian Circles vibes with the layering sounds and even more towards the end with the start/stop guitar riffs. The snare drum tone did catch my ear a little wrong and that might be due to listening to so much Russian Circles, Modern Technology and ISIS that I’ve grown to love that tone.

Before concluding this long player, God Is An Astronaut includes an interlude. The guitar dances throughout as if the waves are bouncing endlessly in a Prism, which may be the inspiration for the song’s title, while undertones, that include the mesmerizing cello of Jo Quail, fill out the sound. Again, they paint an image in my mind, but this time it’s a famous picture of white light entering a triangle and reflecting into a rainbow.

The journey is almost over and Hourglass was properly placed on the album. The menacing piano intro is soothing and minimal. Patiently, the trio add layers to construct this final song. The inclusion of a multitude of instruments can be clearly heard as they are added, creating a grand cinematic closer. The core piano remains a constant for you to hold on to as it brings me back to the All Is Violent, All Is Bright days and as the song closes, it brings a smile to my face.

Post-rock has been with me since that first listen to All Is Violent, All Is Bright and without realizing it, God Is An Astronaut would introduce me to my favorite style of music many years ago. I wish I had taken a deep dive into their output back then, however, thinking about it, I’m not sure if I would have appreciated it as much as I do now and I’m immensely grateful to the band for starting me on the journey and continuing it with this fantastic new release.

Label: Napalm Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Scribed by: Josh Schneider