As GOD ALONE unleashes their first album under the Prosthetic Records banner, listeners should prepare to empty their minds. ETC is a study of nothingness – brought to life by way of extremely danceable, gloriously abstract musicianship. Today, we’re giving you the full stream of the mind-bending record, spiced up with the band’s first-hand track by track
The five musicians behind GOD ALONE are quite literally students of their craft; ETC – their second full length album – was recorded at MTU Cork School of Music which they all attend. ETC was produced by the band and Christopher Hockey, and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Witch Fever, GGGOLDDD, Ghost). The origins of the band lie in a heavier, post-metal sound, but the intervening years and an influx of new and stimulating influences has seen them broaden their palette, expand their horizons and hone a distinctive sound.
Whilst embracing all that the Irish music scene has to offer, GOD ALONE are constantly pushing to make their way out of Ireland and further afield. Cutting their teeth in an eclectic and enthusiastic local scene helped them to refine their live chops, giving their performance increased weight and attention as they progressed. Now when they write, the live iteration of their music is always at the forefront of their minds.
The genre-bending approach traverses through mathrock, dance, avant-garde, post-punk and more on its way to its final destination. Citing the Talking Heads as a big influence, GOD ALONE embrace absurdism at every turn – in particular the absurdity of nothingness; the art of existing without meaning or context. Abstract lyrics are influenced by French dadaist poets as they seek to make heavy ideas into fun, danceable vignettes.
Minimalist album art courtesy of Ian McInerney highlights the repetition of things that have no clear beginning or end – the endless loop of everything and nothing all at once.
ETC by GOD ALONE will be released via Prosthetic Records on October 21, 2022.
GOD ALONE is: Jake O’Driscoll: Guitar & Vocals, Cian Mullane: Bass & Vocals, Jack O’Hanlon: Drums, Dylan Kelly: Synthesizer, Seán Thompson: Guitar
Tinfoil in the Walls: We feel this most clearly represents the more leftfield influences on the album, with less straightforward rhythms and an emphasis on Steve Reich inspired counterpoint and slow evolving repetition so it throws the listener into the deep end of what the album is all about.
Kung Fu Treachery: This is the oldest song on the album which was written about 4 years ago and we’ve played it at pretty much every show since. It’s a big highlight of our live set as it’s so involved and constantly jumping from one style to the next.
Tsktsktsk: This was the last song we wrote for the album. We wrote it while listening to a rake of Fela Kuti and Talking Heads so we wanted to create something very danceable that you could just get lost in the repetition and move to.
ETC: This song is kind of like Kung Fu Treachery-lite in that it’s all the ideas and sections but in a shorter, more condensed package. The Foals and Battles influences are very prominent on this track but there’s also elements of deep house and hardcore.
15BM1989: By far the heaviest song on the album. When it was written we were really into John Carpenter and 80s horror soundtracks so it has some very spooky vibes. There’s also some Talk Talk and Converge/Liturgy nods towards the end of the track.
Peony: This track was named after a Chinese take-away in the northside of Cork City where most of us live. The music and lyrics have no relation to the title, it’s just a really nice take-away. This track is influenced massively by two Cork bands and is somewhere between the psychedelic rock/shoegaze of The Altered Hours and the dissonant hardcore of Horse.
