Ok, I know I said that Ducks Battle Satan would only be about records I liked but this release by Jesu has me fucked.
I’ve skirted around the edges of post-metal in an attempt to understand what the big fucking deal is. It’s all pleasant enough but I’m still waiting for that truly great post-metal album to grab me and engage me. I like the Isis and Pelican records I own but I was hoping that Jesu were the real deal. I was wrong.
Does anyone really think it is a great idea to create a new genre of shoegazing metal? I lived the whole shoegazing thing. I had the Ride, Bleach, Slowdive and Chapterhouse records, I’m not proud of it but I did. Christ I even had those Lush EPs. I had the fringe that was somewhere south of my chin, I was skinny and had those pants that were a bit too big.
Now maybe I didn’t get the memo, but in 2007 was it time for some kind of revival? When I first played this I thought, “Ooh metal chords, a bit like Isis – great.” But then those reed thin vocals started and it was like 1990 all over again. I don’t get it. What the fuck am I missing? Or is this post-metal stuff really just shoegazing for people with tattoos?
