#30 - Conquerer

#30
Artist: Jesu
Album: Conquerer
Year of Release: 2007
Label: Hydra Head

I like shoegaze and I like metal, so it necessarily follows that I would also like the perfect synthesis of shoegaze and metal.  Which is this record.  Frontman Justin Broadrick's presence and his history with hardcore bands like Napalm Death and Godflesh might lead you to believe that Jesu's sound might be harsh or up-tempo.  Instead, the record is so deliberate and spacey that it almost creates a completely different sense of unease (that's still comforting in its own way).  There are sections that still go hard (the breakdown of "Transfigure" or the bridge of "Mother Earth") but they exist primarily in service of transitioning between the gentler parts.  In short, Conqueror is one of the few albums that clearly communicates a sense of purpose and contentment on behalf of its creator.  What a delight.