JESU "Lifeline" (Hydra Head Records)
Review by Jason Bergman
I guess it’s true that one mellows with age. In the case of Justin K. Broadrick, he went from absolutely insane heaviness with GODFLESH and millions of other projects, to slowing things down with JESU. Although earlier JESU material crawled at a tortoise’s pace, it still featured some absolutely monster guitar work that felt like an amplifier was falling on top of you, repeatedly. With the new Lifeline EP, dreamy, shoegaze-inspired guitars swirl around Broadrick’s airy vocals, creating a wall of sound that you can almost visualize wrapping around your brain if you close your eyes. The second track, “You Wear Their Masks” picks up where this years Conqueror left off. The song meanders in, slowly adding more elements to the cacophony of guitars and drums, while Broadrick takes his time with vocals. The occasional ominous, heavy riff pokes through the dense buildup, showing that he hasn’t completely lost his edge yet. Jarboe, of SWANS, adds her gorgeous vocals onto “Storm Comin’ On”, and her melodramatic voice fits in perfectly with the tense atmosphere created by Broadrick. Lifeline continues JESU’s slow trek into more relaxed territory and demonstrates that the best is simply yet to come.
