Conqueror (Vinyl) [Import]

i had been long curious about this band and had read lots of praise for the past records. the adjectives used in the reviews drew me into a world of curiosity and interest. all the things that i had heard about Jesu proved to be true, but even more so. could it be that somethings are better than the hype can even allow?

usually, no. but, with Conqueror; all my expectations were surpassed.

first off all, hat's off to the album's designer. it's gorgeous. stark white glossy digipak with silver metallic ink printed on the transparent slipcase. the profile of a shadowy insustrial landscape against a blank sky signals the signs of things to come upon putting the cd into the stereo. a somewhat cold and detached sound..but full of style, grace and much warmth.

as the title track gently buzzes into play, i could feel my heart racing...as if i was listening to the sounds of white light being glazed over a kaleidescopic hourglass and reflecting through the multicoloured sands contained within. and within moments, a huge guitar riff that is pulverizing in it's crushing heavy slog, yet completely sweet and embracing a pop sensibility.

the production on Conqueror is nothing short of audio perfection. the tone of the guitars is handled with a diamond cut precision. the bass and drums obey within each song's structure and yet shine on their own with ease. all this would be just grand, but if the songs were crap, then what would it matter?

well, that's the real good news about this album...the songwriting is a delight to hear. it's catchy enough to easily creep into your head, but never so catchy that you'll be awake at night trying to get "that darn Jesu song" out of your head. this is part of the magic that this album holds. it is simple, gorgeous melodic songs that are easy to digest, yet demand repeated listens.

if i was forced to make reference points, i would point out M83, My Bloody Valentine,

or quite simply, Black Sabbath with a whole lot of sunlight.

**by the way, mine is the Japanese version of this album which includes an entire BONUS DISC with two long songs (approximately 30 extra minutes of music). these two songs are great; but differ quite a bit structurally then the main album. there are less vocals and lots of fuzzy, warm drones sneak in and take over the music for extended periods of time...really nice and worth the extra cash.

i had been long curious about this band and had read lots of praise for the past records. the adjectives used in the reviews drew me into a world of curiosity and interest. all the things that i had heard about Jesu proved to be true, but even more so. could it be that somethings are better than the hype can even allow?

usually, no. but, with Conqueror; all my expectations were surpassed.

first off all, hat's off to the album's designer. it's gorgeous. stark white glossy digipak with silver metallic ink printed on the transparent slipcase. the profile of a shadowy insustrial landscape against a blank sky signals the signs of things to come upon putting the cd into the stereo. a somewhat cold and detached sound..but full of style, grace and much warmth.

as the title track gently buzzes into play, i could feel my heart racing...as if i was listening to the sounds of white light being glazed over a kaleidescopic hourglass and reflecting through the multicoloured sands contained within. and within moments, a huge guitar riff that is pulverizing in it's crushing heavy slog, yet completely sweet and embracing a pop sensibility.

the production on Conqueror is nothing short of audio perfection. the tone of the guitars is handled with a diamond cut precision. the bass and drums obey within each song's structure and yet shine on their own with ease. all this would be just grand, but if the songs were crap, then what would it matter?

well, that's the real good news about this album...the songwriting is a delight to hear. it's catchy enough to easily creep into your head, but never so catchy that you'll be awake at night trying to get "that darn Jesu song" out of your head. this is part of the magic that this album holds. it is simple, gorgeous melodic songs that are easy to digest, yet demand repeated listens.

if i was forced to make reference points, i would point out M83, My Bloody Valentine,

or quite simply, Black Sabbath with a whole lot of sunlight.

**by the way, mine is the Japanese version of this album which includes an entire BONUS DISC with two long songs (approximately 30 extra minutes of music). these two songs are great; but differ quite a bit structurally then the main album. there are less vocals and lots of fuzzy, warm drones sneak in and take over the music for extended periods of time...really nice and worth the extra cash.

This album took a little adjusting for me. I admit I really liked the debut self-titled album with it's dark and gloomy atmosphere. This is NOT that album. Conqueror is much brighter and optimistic. I went into it expecting a return to the darker (not sure why now that I think about it) and thus took several listens to figure out if I liked it. I don't like it, I LOVE it. Each song is as beautiful as it is unique. Tracks to pay attention to are Transfigure, Weightless & Horizontal and Stanlow.

On a different note. I had purchased the US release which was either misplaced or stolen shortly after recieveing it. When I went to re-order it found that there was an import version that had the Sunrise and Sunset tracks that were not going to be released in the states. I thought what the hell and bought the import. It was worth every penny. If it is still available by the time you are reading this, by all means get the two extra tracks. You won't be disappointed.

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