Jesu - Conqueror

Conqueror heads down the path opened up by last year's Silver EP, where Justin Broadrick finds himself searching to make his otherworldy sounds fit into pop sensibilities...and creates interesting results. Gone are the first days of Heartache's near-perfect melancholia (still one of my favorites of all time) and the immense heaviness of the self-titled debut. Which, to this listener, is sort of a departure (especially when you consider how awesome Broadrick's previous band Godflesh was). But to make extremely heavy music palatable is an interesting challenge, and Justin doesn't disappoint. There's a bit less electronics and effects here than in previous releases, which means this album is a bit more minimalistic. Basically, I think that Broadrick is challenging himself here, hence the title of the record. Conqueror is an adventuresome listen, especially the title track, "Old Year," "Transfigure," "Medicine," and "Stanlow." In fact, the closing song will get stuck in your head; you might even wake up humming its melodies out of some kind of heavenly dream. The only drawback I can discern on this album is that a couple of songs get too repetitive and don't have much change, namely "Weightless & Horizontal" and "Mother Earth." They are still great songs, but may get a little boring if you're not in the mood to zone out. But while the debut album was kind of the same way, some songs were more engaging and others just sort of droned on (making the high points that much higher). Conqueror is a pill that goes down quite easily, but its effect will be felt for years to come. It is an especially good headphone listen, since the textures here will soothe your eardrums. Not the heaviest Jesu album (and definitely the most different from the others with its positivity), but another step in the journey towards transcending one's limitations. [www.avalancheinc.co.uk]