This Will Destroy You – Another Language
4.5/5
Describing the instrumental post-rock created by Texan band This Will Destroy You is like trying to sing along to their songs – you can’t, there are no words for it. Their latest release Another Language is as passionate and textured as always, with such smooth transitions within tracks for climatic buildups and explosive finishes.
“New Topia“ opens the album gracefully, and for the next three minutes brings the listener into a trance through the use of sonic textures and swaying melodies. The deep, steady percussion slowly advances the song further into the build-up, until the 3-minute mark hits and the song suddenly erupts with the force of a musical volcano. For the next two and a half minutes, the song continues to unleash itself, solidifying the unpredictability of post-rock music.
Just passing six minutes in length, “Dustism“ is slightly more structured and features the traditional TWDY framework of small incremental build-ups that reset until the final clash that manipulates itself into a deeper dimension.
Leaping straight into the mess, “War Prayer“ is heavy and dramatic, with a crushing climax in the middle of the song, which then settles into a foggy soundscape. As the final minute and a half approach, the music creates an feeling of excitement and anxiousness, similar to the feeling of reaching the top of a roller coaster just before it drops.
Cleansing the audio palate, “The Puritan“ settles down for a soft interlude, which smoothly transitions into the sentimental track “Mother Opiate“.
Supported by the melodic and dyanmic percussion of David Bhore, “Invitation“ is a drum-based track that allows for the different tones and timbre of a drum kit to create poetry within noise. Eventually, the distortion of the guitars overpower the drums to create a dizzying sensation.
One of the most emotional tracks on the album, “Memory Loss“ is not only a crescendo of music, but also a crescendo of frustration and the eventual release of emotion and power.
“God’s Teeth“, the final song from Another Language, paints the picture of the final moments of life. The piano chords, combined with the siren-esque sounds of the guitar and the angelic melody create the feeling of the end. As the song comes to a close, the music sounds as if it is playing from an external source, as if to replicate an out of body experience.
Another Language is maniable depending on your mood, with different emotions creating a different experience from the music.
