Jesu "Conquerer" (Hydra Head)
By Lucas Salg
Thursday. Mar 08, 2:25 PM
Still pushing the boundaries of rock music and creating challenging, unique work.

Exceptionally prolific and influential metal pioneer Justin Broadrick has never been a particularly divisive figure, but with the release of the latest from his groundbreaking Jesu outfit, Conqueror, he seems to have alienated a giant chunk of his audience. I’ve read a lot of reviews as well as message board chatter that the new record doesn’t live up to the expectations created by the group’s near-perfect self-titled LP and it universally adored follow-up EP, Silver. Well, let me please be the voice of dissent here, because this record is absolutely fantastic.

Conqueror is definitely more accessible and more overtly melodic. I’m guessing people are interpreting this move as a sell-out of some sort, and they couldn’t be more wrong. Broadrick once made a statement that he wanted to make something “so melancholic that it would become the ultimate wrist-slashing experience,” which has (unfortunately) gotten a lot of mileage. I think because of that, there seems to be a general assumption that anything Broadrick does that doesn’t immediately send people scrambling for the straight razor is a cop-out, which is really unfair.

I think Broadrick already achieved that wrist-slashing experience with the self-titled record; now he’s free to explore a new facet of Jesu, and maybe I’m alone on this, but I think it’s immensely refreshing and rewarding. Conqueror has a distinct aura of hopefulness which was hinted at on last year’s Silver, and it really invigorates the whole Jesu formula. Gone are the staggering, hazy low-end rumbles that swallowed everything in sight. The production job on Conqueror is crystal-clear (and excellent), bringing the multitude of sounds that Jesu employ into focus for the first time. The guitars are still heavy as hell, just the way Mr. Broadrick likes ‘em, but now they’re sharper and clearer, allowing for the drums, bass, keyboards, and (especially) vocals to have their say in Jesu’s music. I’ve heard a lot of comparisons to gems from the early ‘90s shoegazer scene like My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, but I think a more apt comparison might be Ride’s Nowhere, which allowed the guitars to roar without sacrificing the sound of the rest of the band. The celestial keyboards and expert drum work are particularly vital to the album’s success.

Broadrick’s decidedly poppy melodies and upfront vocals on Conqueror have taken a lot of flack, but I feel his stronger vocal presence on this album is actually pretty refreshing. He’s got a terrific voice and it shouldn’t always be buried in the mix. I also think Broadrick writes some pretty goddamn terrific melodies, never more apparent than on soaring tracks like “Transfigure” and the title cut, two of the best songs Broadrick’s ever written. On Conqueror, more than ever, the individual songs are just as strong as the overall Jesu sound and experience.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say Conqueror is Jesu’s best work (yet, anyways: a few hundred more spins may prove me wrong), or that it is totally faultless. Like the first full-length, there’s a slight drop in quality over the album’s second half, and “Mother Earth” in particular is skippable. But overall, it’s an amazing musical experience nonetheless and it’s a shame more people can’t be open-minded enough to recognize its true merits. It’s definitely more accessible than Jesu’s previous work, and if that turns off some longtime fans while opening the doors for many more new ones, I’m all for it. There are few bands in this day and age still pushing the boundaries of rock music and creating challenging, unique work and Conqueror is a stellar, shining example of one band that is doing it right.
www.avalancheinc.co.uk/jesu.html
www.hydrahead.com

Lucas Salg

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