The discography of GNOD is like an endless hall of mirrors, each one reflecting an unwelcome truth. Each visage representative of the band’s collective consciousness. Always transcendent. Through noise, mantra, aggression and lyricism, GNOD have always provided music as release. Spot Land is yet another turned corner in the labyrinth of the band’s discography. Transcendence through meditation. Nirvana through peace. Escape is now definite.
Spot Land finds me very well, I’ve been listening to mostly Ozric Tentacles and Bohren and Der Club Of Gore recently and somehow this sits perfectly in the middle. ‘Peace At Home’ opens the album as an incredibly different side of GNOD. Gentle plucking guitars reminiscent of Paddy Shine’s solo album drift gently into the foreground. I love the lead melody as the track opens, I think it’s a slide guitar but, it sounds like some kind of singing space whale and I love it. The track is so transcendent that when the Gregorian chant enters into the mix it doesn’t sound ironic or cheesy, it sounds fucking sick. The level of grandeur and warmth and safety that radiates from this song is extraordinary. It feels quite like watching Koyaanisqatsi on acid. I’ve had difficulty writing about exactly what I thought or felt about this track because every time I listen to it, it fucking blows me away. GNOD have managed to blow my mind so many times by this point I’ve basically lost count. I can remember how much tracks like ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’, ‘Control Systems’, ’Bodies For Money’ and ‘Donovan’s Daughters’ struck me when I first heard them. Each of those songs when I heard them released as a song or as part of their album completely expanded what I thought music could offer to me. I think GNOD like to go where the river takes them and let the music take them where they need to go. ‘Luz Natural’ embodies this blissful surrender absolutely. The tranquility in these first two tracks is completely hypnotic. Compare this to what the band was doing ten years ago and it sounds like something from a completely different planet.
‘Dream On’ what the fucking is going on? Why is this good? This sounds like the Clangers made an album with the robot from ‘Paranoid Android’ and for some reason it’s really cool? How is this possible? I did say I’ve been listening to a lot of Ozric Tentacles, this kind of thing is right up my street. The rhythms and vocals are simultaneously not very much like GNOD and also kind of like a psychedelic disco remix of ‘The Mirror’. This album has a solid thread of “what the fuck is going on?” However, I feel like for the first half of the album that experience is positive but, in the second half it becomes a bit more tenuous. ‘Kapal Bhati’ is nice enough but, doesn’t really feel like it belongs on the same album, it feels a bit underdeveloped in contrast to the first two songs and I’d extend that to the last track ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. I’ve rewritten this half of the review numerous times hoping that I’ll feel differently about it but, it just sounds to me like two different songs playing at the same time. Maybe the penny will drop eventually but, I just don’t get it myself. It seems like the band and the label are really happy with it and I’ve seen people remarking upon how much they like the song but, I don’t get it myself. When I think of the other tracks the band have made of this length, they feel a lot more considered to me, this one feels a bit rushed and it’s kind of like either bits are missing or there’s something musically going on that is just beyond my understanding. Maybe some of the math/prog fans out there can tell me why they enjoy these things happening in this way.
Overall, I think this is yet another example of why we should expect the unexpected with GNOD. A band that has successfully reinvented itself numerous times always with great effect. I personally feel as though their recent albums could have benefitted from being as road-tested as the pre-covid stuff and sometimes it seems like the line-up changes have led to the sound not being as well-rounded as in the past. There was time when I would have never thought a GNOD album could use more layers but, I’ve found that since La Mort Du Sens, each time I’ve hoped for more maximalism across the board. Yet, I still find every release an imperative listen. Each album since covid has had amazing songs on it such as ‘Regimental’, ‘Spotlight’ and on this release ‘Luz Natural’ is probably my favourite. However, unlike the run of albums beginning with Infinity Machines and ending with Chapel Perilous, I haven’t found this latest trio of records to be as consistent. With a band that always reinvents themselves, there’s always going to be stuff you like more and stuff you like less and on the one hand, it’s a shame that I no longer feel as though, everything the group touches is pure gold and on the other, I respect that they’re challenging their own creativity and exploring new territory. None of the stuff is bad but, some of it is definitely not for me. I’d extend that across to some of my all-time favourite bands and GNOD is definitely up there as being one of the greatest bands I’ve ever seen or heard and whilst I’ve not seen them for a while, I definitely recall them being the best live band I’ve ever seen from the shows I have attended in the “GNOD rig” days. One final thought: the artwork is fucking amazing.
