Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress

"And what are you going to sing for us, Nathan?" "I'm going to sing Piss Crowns Are Trebled by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Simon." "Excellent. Well best of luck, young man." Of course, we can spend a lifetime quietly willing the Nathans of this world to deface Cowell's increasingly ropy merchandise but the Canadian post-rock titans' fifth album does give anyone foolish enough to attempt a Godspeed tribute act something approaching a fighting chance.

Its forty minutes is brief by their own epic standards and its four tracks (based around the 'Behemoth' piece developed at recent shows) constitutes a structure almost verging on accessible. The central 'drone' section (the formidable coupling of Lambs' Breath and Asunder, Sweet) is bookended by Peasantry Or 'Light! Inside Of Light!' and the aforementioned Piss Crowns Are Trebled, amidst a torrent of melody, an eruption of guitars and strings, both resonating with a wild fury. Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress is slim but huge, and tests the GYBE aesthetic with courageous enterprise.