by Sarah Samson
Art-rockers Godcaster, based in Brooklyn, have blessed the ears of underground music fans with their self-titled sophomore album. The sextet comprised of Bruce Ebersol, Judson Kolk, Jan Fontana, Von Kolk, David McFaul, and Ryan West have captured their theatrical and chaotic energy on this record, transcending any of their other works released to date. If you’ve seen Godcaster live, you know they put on a show as if they were in a crowd of thousands. With their energetic and loud presence, they make it clear who they are and what they want to do, and that energy is beautifully captured on this album.
“Diamond’s Shining Face,” the opening track is a chaotic piece that sets the record's tone. Godcaster knows how to control people's attention when they are presented with the opportunity. We get a warm and loud welcome into the world of Godcaster and what they are about. The repetitive opener follows a simple structure, but its abrasive vocals and striking instrumentals turn it into a mesmerizing start.
While their discography mainly consists of two to four-minute songs, “Didactic Flashing Antidote” and “Draw Breathe Cry Out” are their most ambitious songs released. “Didactic Flashing Antidote” is nearly an eleven minute track, and “Draw Breathe Cry Out” is nearly twelve minutes. The former is a repetitive song that explodes and settles once you reach the four-minute mark. They have mastered the long-drawn out and slow burn that is worth your patience. On “Draw Breathe Cry Out,” the first two minutes is a noisy and melodic start of the song that turns completely left; their sparse, loud moments provide us with a sense of calm, and then we get Kolk’s soft vocals emerging from the rubble of noise and scattered instrumentals.
The closing track, “Gut Sink Moan,” ties all the elements of Godcaster together with the most theatrical vocals of the album, chaotic instrumentals, and one of several interesting titles. The song perfectly wraps up what the band are all about over a four-minute song that feels like it's only two with its breakdowns, changes in tempo, and simple song structure. Godcaster is one of the most exciting bands that have come out recently. Still, seeing them live is a whole new experience, different from any of their recorded material. If you ever get the chance to catch them live, please do.