History Music / GodspeedYouBlackEmperor

* NotChristianRock: Religion and the religious appear throughout their music, and the band have been known to play concerts in churches. However, they most certainly are not Christian rock.

* EpicRocking: In spades. The shortest song on any of their official releases is the five-and-a-half-minute “Sunshine + Gasoline”, from the ''aMAZEine!'' single. Nearly all of their songs are ''at least'' ten minutes long; in fact, before 2012, “Sunshine + Gasoline” was their ''only'' song under ten minutes. (The two tracks on ''’Allelujah!'' that run six and eight minutes, respectively, are really more drones than they are songs). It is not uncommon for a song of theirs to exceed twenty minutes in length; a song they have started performing in 2012, “Behemoth”, easily exceeds forty.
** The “mere” 6-minute “9-15-00 (Part Two)” is also worth mentioning, but since it serves as the ending of a composition that totals 22 minutes, YMMV on whether or not this counts.

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The group's debut recording, ''All Lights Fucked On The Hairy Amp Drooling'', was released in 1994 and limited to thirty-three copies on cassette. The group's label, Constellation Records, has one copy, but the location of the rest are unknown. Due to its rarity, it's a bit of a case of [[FanonDiscontinuity Dis Continuity]] with fans.

The follow up (generally considered to be their actual debut album), ''F♯ A♯ ∞'' , was released in 1997 on vinyl and 1998 on CD. The two editions are notably different, the CD version is almost twice the length of the vinyl due to added, lengthened, and rearranged movements. It is considered by some a loose ConceptAlbum about the apocalypse.

Godspeed would stick to the minimalist, dissonant style of ''F♯ A♯ ∞'' for their breakthrough and magnum opus ''Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven'', a double album with four tracks. This style would be modified for their most recent record ''Yanqui U.X.O.'', produced by none other than Music/SteveAlbini.

After nearly eight years on hiatus, the band reunited for a few shows in 2010, and gradually extended this engagement into tours over the next two years. After more than ten years without releasing new material or announcing plans to, the band started quietly selling their fifth album, '''Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!,'' at their live shows.

Their best-known songs are probably “The Dead Flag Blues,” “East Hastings,” “Storm,” and “09-15-00” due to their use in films and television ("East Hastings" was notably used in ''TwentyEightDaysLater'').

It's also worth noting that their music contains a strong political component. They have been repeatedly described in the media as [[UsefulNotes/PoliticalIdeologies anarchists]], although apparently no one in the group has explicitly subscribed to this label. However, their music definitely articulates a strong anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist stance, which is even more explicit in sister band A Silver Mt. Zion (which contains several of the same members). That said, Efrim Menuck has said the band don't consciously try to be political, but simply write songs about the sort of things they talk about with their friends.

* ''F♯ A♯ ∞'' (Pronounced 'F Sharp A Sharp Infinity,' 1997)
* ''Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven'' (2000)

* '''Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!'' (2012)

* ''All Lights Fucked On The Hairy Amp Drooling'' (Demo, 1994)

* BigNameFan: JayBaruchel has stated in interviews that he's a huge fan of the band.

* CoverVersion: The very first movement of "Antennas to Heaven," "Moya Sings 'Baby-O'" is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Mike Moya singing the folk song "What'll We Do With the Baby-O."

* DigitalPiracyIsEvil: Averted completely. The band allow fans to tape and circulate their shows. It's also the only way to get "All Lights Fucked On The Hairy Amp Drooling", due to its limitation to thirty-three copies.

* {{Dystopia}}: “The rivers are all muddied with a thousand lonely suicides. And a dark wind blows. The government is corrupt, and we're on so many drugs, with the radio on and the curtains drawn. We are trapped in the belly of this horrible machine, and the machine is bleeding to death.”

* EpicRocking: In spades. The shortest song on any of their official releases is the five-and-a-half-minute “Sunshine + Gasoline”, from the ''aMAZEine!'' single. Nearly all of their songs are ''at least'' ten minutes long; in fact, before 2012, “Sunshine + Gasoline” was their ''only'' song under ten minutes. (The two tracks on ''[='=]Allelujah!'' that run six and eight minutes, respectively, are really more drones than they are songs). It is not uncommon for a song of theirs to exceed twenty minutes in length; a song they have started performing in 2012, “Behemoth”, easily exceeds forty.
** The "mere" 6-minute "9-15-00 (Part Two)" is also worth mentioning, but since it serves as the ending of a composition that totals 22 minutes, YMMV on whether or not this counts.

* EyeScream: “Every time the baby cries / I stick my fingers in the baby's eyes / That's what we do with the baby-o.”

** ''Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven''.

* PrecisionFStrike: The titles of ''All Lights Fucked On The Hairy Amp Drooling'' and “Motherfucker=Redeemer.”

* ScaryMusicianHarmlessMusic: Inverted. The band's music can be horrifying, but the band themselves are a bunch of polite Canadians.
* ShoutOut: “[=BBF3=]” on ''Slow Riot'' features a poem supposedly written by an interviewee (the core of the song is the man's rambling responses to questions), which is actually made of lyrics taken from [[Music/IronMaiden Iron Maiden's]] “Virus.”

* StargateCity: "East Hastings" is named for the skid road/Downtown Eastside district of Vancouver, known for its high concentration of drug use and being the poorest neighborhood in Canada.

* Literature/TheBible: The cover art of ''Slow Riot'' is the Hebrew phrase "Tohu vaVohu," the state of chaos that the world was in before Creation in the book of Genesis, lifted directly from a Hebrew Bible (including the tonal diacritics for Torah reading).

* WhamLine: “I open up my wallet. And it's full of blood.”

* WordSaladTitle: ''All Lights Fucked On The Hairy Amp Drooling.''
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** "Storm" starts off with an incredible build-up to an almost heroic, inspiring melody (Levez Vos Skinny Fists Comme Antennas to Heaven), only to suddenly shift to something quite foreboding and intimidating (Gathering Storm), just before collapsing into pure sadness. (Cancer Towers on Holy Road Hi-Way)

* SpokenWordInMusic: 90% of their songs have this, including all of ''LYSF'' and ''F♯ A♯ ∞''. Most notable would be “The Dead Flag Blues,” whose opening monologue describes a {{Dystopia}} that occurs AfterTheEnd, “Static,” which has a long, rambling, insane sounding rant from a street preacher in it, “[=BFF3=],” built around an interview, and “Motherfucker=Redeemer,” which (on the vinyl version) ends with a chopped-up speech from George W. Bush.

The follow up (generally considered to be their actual debut album), ''F# A# ∞'' , was released in 1997 on vinyl and 1998 on CD. The two editions are notably different, the CD version is almost twice the length of the vinyl due to added, lengthened, and rearranged movements. It is considered by some a loose ConceptAlbum about the apocalypse.

Godspeed would stick to the minimalist, dissonant style of ''F# A# ∞'' for their breakthrough and magnum opus ''Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven'', a double album with four tracks. This style would be modified for their most recent record ''Yanqui U.X.O.'', produced by none other than Music/SteveAlbini.

* ''F# A# ∞'' (Pronounced 'F Sharp A Sharp Infinity,' 1997)

* AlbumTitleDrop: A subtle one in ''F# A# ∞''. Side A of the vinyl begins in the key of F#, side B begins in the key of A#, and the record ends in an infinite locked groove.

* BoleroEffect: A favorite technique of theirs. Every track on ''F# A# ∞'' does this at least once.

* BrokenRecord: The loop at the end of the vinyl edition of ''F# A# ∞''.
* ConceptAlbum: ''F# A# ∞'' is considered this by some fans.

* DistinctDoubleAlbum: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven.

* EchoingAcoustics: Common throughout ''F# A# ∞'', but particularly “East Hastings.”
* EpicRocking: In spades. The shortest song on any of their official releases is the 11-minute “Moya”, from the ''Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada'' EP.

** The lock groove at the end of the vinyl edition of ''F# A# ∞''.

* RevolvingDoorBand: During the time period between ''All Lights'' and ''F# A# ∞'', which led to recording difficulties.

* SpokenWordInMusic: 90% of their songs have this, including all of ''LYSF'' and ''F# A# ∞''. Most notable would be “The Dead Flag Blues,” whose opening monologue describes a {{Dystopia}} that occurs AfterTheEnd, “Static,” which has a long, rambling, insane sounding rant from a street preacher in it, “[=BFF3=],” built around an interview, and “Motherfucker=Redeemer,” which (on the vinyl version) ends with a chopped-up speech from George W. Bush.

* TextlessAlbumCover: ''F# A# ∞'', ''Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven'', and ''Yanqui U.X.O.''

* SomethingBlues: Of the “Dead Flag” variety.

** "Storm" starts off with an incredible build-up to an almost heroic, inspiring melody (Levez Vos Skinny Fists Comme Antennas to Heaven), only to suddenly shift to something quite foreboding and intimidatin (Gathering Storm), just before collapsing into pure sadness. (Cancer Towers on Holy Road Hi-Way)

* SomethingBlues: Of the “Dead Flag” variety.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor released four albums (including a demo album) and an EP from 1994 to 2003 before splitting up, then reforming in 2010 to go on a reunion tour, and are reportedly working on new material.

* FaceOfTheBand: Even though he's not the frontman in the traditional sense, Efrim Menuck is the member that seems to get the most recognition.

* MainstreamObscurity: Godspeed You! Black Emperor are the darlings of critics everywhere, but very few outside the fanbase have ever heard of them.

* Music/{{Instrumentals}}: Most songs, though many have [[SpokenWordInMusic spoken word]].

** ''All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling''.

* EpicRocking: In spades. The shortest song on any of their three studio albums is the 16-minute “The Dead Flag Blues.”

* TheBible: The cover art of ''Slow Riot'' is the Hebrew phrase "Tohu vaVohu," the state of chaos that the world was in before Creation in the book of Genesis, lifted directly from a Hebrew Bible (including the tonal diacritics for Torah reading).

* ShoutOut: “[=BBF3=]” on ''Slow Riot'' features a poem supposedly written by an interviewee (the core of the song is the man's rambling responses to questions), which is actually made of lyrics taken from [[Music/IronMaiden Iron Maiden's]] “Venom.”

* WhamLine: “I open up my wallet. It's full of blood.”

** “They have a large barge with a radio antenna on it, where they charge up and discharge.” in the middle of “East Hastings.”

* EpicRiff: “The Dead Flag Blues” motif, repeated at the beginning of “East Hastings” as well.

* MagnumOpus: "Lift Your Skinny Fists" by consensus, but ''F# A# ∞'' and ''Slow Riot'' are both close.

Godspeed would stick to the minimalist, dissonant style of ''F# A# ∞'' for their breakthrough and magnum opus ''Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven'', a double album with four tracks. This style would be modified for their most recent record ''Yanqui U.X.O.'', produced by none other than SteveAlbini.

* ShoutOut: “[=BBF3=]” on ''Slow Riot'' features a poem supposedly written by an interviewee (the core of the song is the man's rambling responses to questions), which is actually made of lyrics taken from [[IronMaiden Iron Maiden's]] “Venom.”