Label: Napalm Records
Date: February 12th, 2021
This one is a sort of a revelation for me. Naturally, I’ve heard about the band before. It’s not like they are anonymous in any way. The thing is that I didn’t actually hear them before. It probably has something to do with their name. When I see names like this one I automatically skip them. Though when it comes to weird band names God Is An Astronaut doesn’t even come close to the top. Nevertheless, my mind was made up.
Until this one dropped in my lap.
And now I’m pondering on the fact that in this day and age, the 21st century, when pop culture has taken over every aspect of our daily lives, a band without vocals has grown into such a respected entity. And I’m speaking globally. God Is An Astronaut is far from an obscure underground name. How is that even possible? Should I have known this simple fact I would have probably given them a chance a long time ago. And this is their jubilee, tenth full length record.
And still I wonder if the decision to go all instrumental was there right from the start. Was it their initial idea, or they simply struggled to find a decent vocalist or write decent lyrics?
Whatever the case may be, just by listening to this record I can get quite a clear picture of where this high critical acclaim comes from.
This is a record that will have your soul in stitches once it’s done with you. It will have your inner ghosts dancing around like your beloved pets, just before it tears your heart out and releases them, all guns blazing, into your immediate surroundings. It is perfect for creating a calm before the storm, just as it is capable of making a screaming tsunami wash out all the frustration.
But once the record stops spinning, the sense of confusion does not disappear. You are still a slobbering pile of flesh, water and bone without the coping mechanism for the atrocities that surround you. However, you are left with a perfectly functioning valve to unleash the debilitating powerlessness that grips and ties you down to a living, breathing corpse.
Bottom line is, if you’re feeling like a ghost, if you seem to drift along your life unnoticed, unappreciated and impotent to change all that, “Ghost Tapes #10” is your friend, ally and trustworthy companion on this journey to self-accomplishment.
Me, I feel infinitely richer now that God Is An Astronaut became more than a name I’ve heard of. Though I still wonder.
