God Is An Astronaut has built a reputation as being something of a force to be reckoned with on the live circuit, and it’s not hard to see why.
They pack a meaty punch in the decibel department, producing a full-fledged auditory assault juxtaposed with lots of hair, beards, and head-banging precision.
Torsten and Niels Kinsella (guitar/keyboard and bass/guitars respectively), the tactiful writing team behind the material, essentially create prog-rock, electronica-tinged space instrumentalisations, which are not far off the sounds of early Amplifier, and late 2000 circa Explosions In The Sky with the heavier parts veering into the forays of the metal domain.
The new material, particularly from their latest record Origins, has a darker, ominous and industrially-mechanical sound to it, taking away some of the more soulful, organic elements from earlier albums such as All Is Violent, All Is Bright.
Upping the ante on the live circuit from a three to a five-piece, the line-up offers a revitalised energy, creating the physicality’s of additional musical elements that embellish and fill out the bands live sound.
Additionally, the full five-piece forms an epically driven, no-holds-barred, bellyaching, bass-shuddering wall of noise, which sends pulsating throbs through the bodies in the audience.
The vocal parts, which take a back seat ride in among the depths of cleverly orchestrated monolithic epics, are more prominent on Origins; unleashed through soaked reverb and filtered with toy-robot modulations (‘Calistoga’ and ‘Exit Dream’ in particular).
They add a narrative structure as opposed to narrative themes and topical content without taking away the emotionality of the material.
The vocals work well against the five-instrument colossal assault without inducing overkill to the ‘already-multi-layered’ spectrum of waves and frequencies.
Ditching the wah-wah’d pentatonic-scaled solos for more mode-esque work on the live circuit would save God Is An Astronaut from any major criticisms.
It just automatically dates songs; it is an anachronism; a disturbing anomaly in what is otherwise a set full of blissful grandeur merged with dichotomous cutthroat riffs that go straight for the jugular.
Epically driven noise, converged with beautifully melodic breakdowns, was what the band had to offer in Glasgow tonight and they deliver it in a gung-ho fashion.
Words: Derek Roberson
Photos: Jayjay Robertson
