Jesu - England 2005
04 10 07 - 13:04 Picture the charred ashy remnants of large, man-made structures; all around lies the wake of ruin and all signsof humanity seem absent. Then picture a tiny, solitary flower blooming atop those ashy remains.
Jesu create compact, desolate sonicscapes through the use of unnaturally sustained tones and carefully crafted,
minutely-resonate production that permeates a dense texture of droning, industrious guitarwork. Expansive minor
chords and Brian Eno-esque synth lines resonate within simplistic drumming frameworks that plod along unobtrusively
in tempos ranging from mid-paced to outright funereal. Melancholic lead melodies form of the unusually prolonged
guitar sustain, sprouting and convulsing amongst a harsher underlying landscape, creating within the listener the
image of 'something' growing out of 'nothing'. These melodies also play an
important role structurally; guiding the pieces to their conclusions and heralding changes occurring in mood and key.
Comparisons to Godflesh are inevitable, but not completely unwarranted, thankfully though such allusions are
more toward the earlier periods of Godflesh rather than the latter stages of the bands life. As well as this
obvious comparison can be heard a distinct Burzum influence, particularly in the expansion of mood/ambience
through minor variations in fretwork. To be honest though, the sense of melody here employed calls to mind -
more than anything done by a metal band - various genres of post-punk; notably darkwave and emo (!).
For most I imagine the reading of this review has ended upon reaching
that last sentence, those still curious will be pleased and perhaps further intrigued to learn that fortunately
while this work quite undeniably operates from a 'sentimental' standpoint, it avoids the nauseatingly self-absorbed
misery rock trappings that the worst of those previously mentioned genres are prone to. Instead, Broadrick takes
to exploring the potential of this melodic style and its accompanying emotive connotations in a mature and
fascinatingly innovative fashion.
This work to my ears seems an attempt to give artistic depth to a style of accessible music, applying the knowledge
of crafting thought in sound learnt through playing otherwise inaccessible music for so long. This analysis rings
true when one examines the lyrics also - sentimental emotive themes are used deceptively to explore ideas of greater
intellectual maturity than ordinarily is done, emphasising more decline in the emotional distress as means to an end in
a process of renewal, rather than indulging in a delusion of self importance as most others utilising such topics do.
Whether it is or isn't the intention of the artist to introduce listeners accustomed to this type of melodic and lyrical
style to a greater scope of reflective complexity, one can only speculate.
From the chaos and lifeless inhumanity of an industrial world comes renewed hope after all. Jesu represents the very
things that elevate life beyond the utilitarian and meaningless.
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