History Music / GodspeedYouBlackEmperor

** ''G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END!'' replicates the format of ''Alleleujah''.

* MinimalisticCoverArt: All of their albums, but ''LYSFLATH'' and ''Slow Riot'' in particular.

* TextlessAlbumCover: ''F♯ A♯ ∞'', ''Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven'', ''Yanqui U.X.O.'', ''[='=]Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!'', ''[='=]Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress[='=]''. So basically, all of them except ''All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling'', ''"Luciferian Towers"'', and ''Slow Riot for New Zerø Kanada'' (although the last of these is Hebrew text).

* TitleDrop: "The sun has fallen down, and the billboards are all leering. ''The flags are all dead'' at the top of their poles."

* ExcitedTitleTwoPartEpisodeName: Given the exclamation point in their name. Also, the album titles ''[='=]Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!'' and ''G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END!'', and the song title "Peasantry or 'Light! Inside of Light!'".

* BittersweetEnding: "Our Side Has to Win (for D.H.)" is an arguable musical example - it's probably the most beautiful song on the album, and it's also somehow simultaneously mournful and hopeful.

* LyricalDissonance: "Moya Sings Baby-O," the first movement in "Antennas to Heaven," features Mike Moya singing a jaunty, upbeat tune about throwing an infant into a hayloft, feeding it alcohol, and stabbing its eyes out. The fact that it appears out of nowhere in the middle of a primarily instrumental symphonic post-rock record makes it even creepier.

* CallBack, ContinuityNod: The opening movements of "Storm" contain melodic elements of "Providence" (and "Bleak, Uncertain, Beautiful..."). Could also count as a TriumphantReprise.

** The "Kicking Horse on Brokenhill" segment of "Bleak, Uncertain, Beautiful..." and "Providence" opens with a rare sung passage, but it's drenched in so much reverb that most lyrics sites don't even attempt to transcribe what is being sung. It is a sample from the film ''Film/{{Matewan}}'' of the song "Gathering Storm" (with lyrics written by American musician [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason_Daring Mason Daring]] to the tune of "Amazing Grace") sung by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_Dickens Hazel Dickens]] during a funeral scene.

** The song at the start of "Kicking Horse on Brokenhill" (from "Bleak, Uncertain, Beautiful..." and "Providence") is "Gathering Storm", written by American musician [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason_Daring Mason Daring]] (to the tune of "Amazing Grace"), [[https://youtu.be/QJrNPxZsXk8 sampled]] from the 1987 film ''Film/{{Matewan}}''. The woman singing is [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_Dickens Hazel Dickens]], although her voice is drenched in so much reverb in this sample that her words become almost indecipherable. The longest movement of "Storm" almost certainly takes its name from this song as well.

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. It received favourable reviews and was awarded the Polaris Prize. A second new album, ''[='=]Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress[='=]'', was released on March 31, 2015, to positive reviews; ''"Luciferian Towers"'' followed on September 22, 2017, also to positive reviews. Their eighth album, ''G_od's Pee AT STATE'S END!'', was released on April 2, 2021, yet again to positive reviews.

* {{Sampling}}: Loads of songs, but particularly "Storm," "Providence," "Blaise Bailey Finnegan III," and the hidden track after "Motherfucker=Redeemer" on the vinyl edition of ''Yanqui U.X.O.'' However, this has been almost completely absent on their releases since their reformation, only appearing in the intro of "Mladic".

** "Moya" is loosely based on ''Symphony No. 3, Op. 36" (1976, aka ''Symphony of Sorrowful Songs'') by Polish composer Henryk Górecki (1933-2010), and was originally named "Gorecki" before being renamed.

** ''Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything'' continues the borderline use of this trope in ASMZ's recent music, at [=DR7=]. ''[='=]Asunder, Sweet[='=]'' is also [=DR7=] (although the ranges of individual tracks vary from [=DR5=] to [=DR9=]), but is mastered without much clipping this time.

* PostRock: One of the better-known examples, one of the most acclaimed, and arguably the {{Trope Codifier}}s.

As of 2021, their five Constellation Records releases (''Yanqui U.X.O.'' through ''G_d's Pee at State's End!'') can be streamed at [[https://godspeedyoublackemperor.bandcamp.com/ their Bandcamp]] for free (or purchased for download), and an absolutely colossal number of live performances can be streamed and downloaded at the [[https://archive.org/details/GodspeedYouBlackEmperor Internet Archive]] for free.

** EpicRocking extends to a lot of their sister projects, too, although it's not as extreme with most of them. A Music/SilverMtZion, for example, have yet to have a song exceed twenty minutes, unless you count ''He Has Left Us Alone...'' as only two songs (as the vinyl edition does); furthermore, most of the band's side projects have quite a few released songs that are under ten minutes in length, unlike Godspeed, who have only seven (unless you count the individual movements of ''[='=]Asunder, Sweet[='=]'' as songs).[[note]]GY!BE's tracks below ten minutes in length are the single "Sunshine + Gasoline", "Their Helicopters' Sing" and "Strung Like Lights at Thee Printemps Erable" from ''Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!'', "Undoing a Luciferian Towers" and "Fam / Famine" from ''"Luciferian Towers"'', and "Fire at Static Valley" and "Our Side Has to Win (for D.H.)" from ''At State's End!''. And some people may not even count the ''"Luciferian Towers"'' examples, since they're a single song that was split into two tracks so that the material would fit onto a single LP. (Oddly, "Fam / Famine" was the first part when it was performed live, but appears at the start of side two.)[[/note]]

* DroneOfDread: A favourite technique of theirs dating back to "The Dead Flag Blues," they've if anything increased their usage of this trope in recent years, with ''entire tracks'' devoted to it now ("Their Helicopters' Sing" and "Strung Like Lights at Thee Printemps Erable" on ''[='=]Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!'', "Lambs' Breath" and "Asunder, Sweet" on ''[='=]Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress[='=]''). ''"Luciferian Towers"'' still employs drone, but it generally seems more aimed at establishing a chilled out ambiance than a mood of dread.

** Especially the version of "The Sad Mafioso..." from the LP release; It's much more echoing and deep than the version from the CD release.

* EpicRocking: In spades. Long story short, it's easier to count the number of Godspeed songs that are ''under'' 10 minutes than over. Most of their songs exceed twenty minutes in length, and two are so long that they had to be split across two sides for the vinyl releases:

** EpicRocking extends to a lot of their sister projects, too, although it's not as extreme with most of them. A Music/SilverMtZion, for example, have yet to have a song exceed twenty minutes, unless you count ''He Has Left Us Alone...'' as only two songs, as the vinyl edition does; furthermore, most of the band's side projects have quite a few released songs that are under ten minutes in length, unlike Godspeed, who have only five (unless you count the individual movements of ''[='=]Asunder, Sweet[='=]'' as songs).

** ''G_d's Pee at State's End!'' brings sampled spoken-word parts back for the first time in a while; these are apparently sampled from short-wave radio, and open each of the longer pieces on the album. The most notable drone segments are those underpinning the two short-wave segments; they are otherwise mostly absent. Instead, Sophie Trudeau's violin gets an expanded role on this album, notably becoming the lead instrument on the final track "Our Side Has to Wind (for D.H.)". Overall, its mood is somewhat of a piece with that of ''"Luciferian Towers"'' in being less dark than the band's earlier work, despite being recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown; although it is mournful at times, it remains hopeful even then.

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 released their fifth album in October 2012. A sixth album followed at the end of March 2015, and a seventh in September 2017, and another in April 2021.

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. It received favourable reviews and was awarded the Polaris Prize. A second new album, ''[='=]Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress[='=]'', was released on March 31, 2015, to positive reviews; ''"Luciferian Towers"'' followed on September 22, 2017, also to positive reviews.

* Efrim Menuck – Guitar, tapes, keyboards
* Mike Moya – Guitar

* Tim Herzog – Drums, percussion

As of 2017, their four Constellation Records releases (''Yanqui U.X.O.'' through ''"Luciferian Towers"'') can be streamed at [[https://godspeedyoublackemperor.bandcamp.com/ their Bandcamp]] for free (or purchased for download), and an absolutely colossal number of live performances can be streamed and downloaded at the [[https://archive.org/details/GodspeedYouBlackEmperor Internet Archive]] for free.

* AnarchyIsChaos: Inverted. The band's political position is UsefulNotes/{{Anarchism}} (as song titles such as "Bosses Hang" and "Anthem for No State" probably make clear), and their albums often explore how ''capitalism and government'' are chaotic.

* AuthorFilibuster: The liner notes for ''"Luciferian Towers"'', which are very explicit about the band's anarchist, anti-capitalist ideology. A press release announcing the album's release also features demands such as ends to foreign invasions and national borders; "the total dismantling of the prison-industrial complex"; the acknowledgement of healthcare, housing, food, and water as "inalienable human rights"; and "the expert [[PrecisionFStrike fuckers]] who broke this world never get to speak again".

* SpokenWordInMusic: Around 50% 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, "[=BBF3=]," built around an interview, and "Motherfucker=Redeemer," which (on the vinyl version) ends with a chopped-up speech from UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush. Their usage of this trope has dropped off with time; only one song on ''[='=]Allelujah'' has an example of this, and it does not appear at all on ''[='=]Asunder, Sweet[='=]'', ''"Luciferian Towers"'', or the CD version of ''Yanqui U.X.O.'' (it does appear in a hidden track on the vinyl edition, however).

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 released their fifth album in October 2012. A sixth album followed at the end of March 2015, and a seventh in September 2017.

* ExcitedTitleTwoPartEpisodeName: Given the exclamation point in their name. Also, the album title ''[='=]Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!'' and the song title "Peasantry or 'Light! Inside of Light!'".

* RearrangeTheSong: This has been known to happen on occasion, which is probably no surprise since the band hones its material live before recording it, but some examples are especially drastic. "World Police and Friendly Fire" used to have a different coda before it was recorded for the album. The band's last known performance of the original coda was in December 1998. Since their reformation, they have additionally added a new coda to this song that follows the coda of the album version. "Dead Metheny" has also gotten an expanded coda since 2003, which has been known to double the length of the song in some performances.

** The band has a song named after minimalist composer Steve Reich, which bears a striking resemblance to his body of work. It has thus far only been performed live; the fact that it is loosely based on his piece "Violin Phase" may be one reason why. It can, however, be heard in the session they recorded for legendary DJ John Peel.

** The "Kicking Horse on Brokenhill" segment of "Bleak, Uncertain, Beautiful..." and "Providence" opens with a rare sung passage, but it's drenched in so much reverb that most lyrics sites don't even attempt to transcribe what is being sung.

* UncommonTime: Occasionally. "Dead Metheny" is in 7/8. One segment of "Motherfucker=Redeemer" is a polyrhythm with a guitar part in 5/8 and most of the rest in 6/8. A later segment of the song is also in 7/8. "Steve Reich" is also a polyrhythm with a guitar part in 7/8 and most of the rest in 6/8, possibly with other rhythms mixed in as well.

* UncommonTime: Occasionally. "Dead Metheny" is in 7/8. One segment of "Motherfucker=Redeemer" is a polyrhythm with a guitar part in 5/8 and most of the rest in 6/8. A later segment of the song is also in 7/8.

** The sampled announcement in the "Welcome to Barco AM/PM" segment of "Storm" is partly in Spanish. Helpfully, there is an English announcement shortly thereafter that says basically exactly the same thing.

** The "Welcome to Arco AM/PM Mini-Market" sample is a fairly long loop, but arguably still counts.

** The sample in "Welcome to Arco AM/PM" from "Storm" is usually interpreted as the band commenting on how society, particularly large corporations, dehumanises those with fewer resources.

* DroneOfDread: A favourite technique of theirs dating back to "The Dead Flag Blues," they've if anything increased their usage of this trope in recent years, with ''entire tracks'' devoted to it now ("Their Helicopters' Sing" and "Strung Like Lights at Thee Printemps Erable" on ''[='=]Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!'', "Lambs' Breath" and "Asunder, Sweet" on ''[='=]Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress[='=]''). ''"Luciferian Towers"'' still employs drone, but it generally seems more aimed at establishing a chilled out ambience than a mood of dread.

** "Static" has the most intense and heavy crescendo on the whole album, building up to a screeching climax before abruptly cutting off and ending with several minutes of quiet, sinister ambience. The overall effect is like the silence after a really terrible battle or disaster.

* LyricalDissonance: "Moya Sings Baby-O," the first movement in "Antennas to Heaven," features Mike Moya singing a jaunty, upbeat tune about throwing an infant into a hayloft, feeding it alcohol and stabbing its eyes out. The fact that it appears out of nowhere in the middle of a primarily instrumental symphonic post-rock record makes it even creepier.

** "''Welcome to Arco AM/PM...''" (not ''Barco'', as mislabeled on the album -- am/pms are only associated with Arco gas stations. The mislabeling was most likely done for [[WritingAroundTrademarks legal]] [[BlandNameProduct reasons]]).

* ToiletHumor: The band has referred to themselves as "God's Pee" on several occasions

** "They don’t sleep anymore on the beach."

* WordPureeTitle: ''F♯ A♯ ∞'' (Pronounced "F Sharp A Sharp Infinity"). However, there's a reason for this title, at least on the vinyl edition; see MeaningfulName above.

* WritingAroundTrademarks / BlandNameProduct: Despite the recording sampled in the song clearly saying "Welcome to Arco AM/PM," the album liner notes identify the movement name as "Welcome to Barco AM/PM... [[[UsefulNotes/LosAngeles L.A.X.]]; 5/14/00]." The reason why probably falls under one of these tropes.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Godspeed-You-Black-Emperor_7694.jpg]]

** The voice in "String Loop Manufactured During Downpour" (from "Bleak, Uncertain, Beautiful..." and "Providence") singing "Where are you going?" is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-RXLGxe-9c sampled]] from the [[Film/{{Godspell}} 1973 film adaptation]] of the musical ''Theatre/{{Godspell}}''.

** The voice in "String Loop Manufactured During Downpour" (from "Bleak, Uncertain, Beautiful..." and "Providence") singing "Where are you going?" is sampled from the [[Film/{{Godspell}} 1973 film adaptation]] of the musical ''Theatre/{{Godspell}}''.