Eat Dust LP – Godspeed You Black Emperor!: G_D’s Pee At State’s End magasin

The 7th studio album by Canadian post-rock innovators Godspeed You Black Emperor! The album consists of one 12″ LP and one 10″ record. It consists of four pieces, two long and two short, a structure used on the band’s earlier albums. On some streaming services, tracks 1 and 3 on the physical release are split up into their individual movements.

The album makes use of found sound recordings, a stylistic choice which the band is known for but which had been absent in their previous two releases.

The opening movement of the album, “A Military Alphabet (five eyes all blind) [4521.0kHz 6730.0kHz 4109.09kHz]”, is a drone accompanied by recordings of shortwave radio transmissions and gunfire. A simple guitar riff transitions the first movement into the second, titled Job’s Lament. The core of the piece consists of the band’s three guitars and two basses. The side closes with the movement “where we break how we shine (ROCKETS FOR MARY)”, a recording of birds chirping while guns can be heard in the background.

Following the first long suite is “Fire at Static Valley”, the first of the two shorter tracks on the 10″ LP. The track is made up of drones, delay-heavy guitars, strings, and a kick drum.

The third side is the second large suite. It follows in form to the first also opening with samples of shortwave radio transmissions, and closing with a sample of clanging church bells. 

The final track and second of the shorter two is a string piece titled “OUR SIDE HAS TO WIN (For D.H.)”. The D.H. in the title refers to Dirk Hugsam, the long time European tour agent of the band. Hugsam died in December 2018 and, in addition to the track dedication, was eulogized by band members on the record label’s website.