Ever had a particular line in a book or song that moved you in such a way that it almost seemed like you'd written it? You know, that moment where you read or hear it and it feels like your heart drops, and you sit stunned for a moment? Godspeed You Black Emperor's record is, to some extent, like that the whole way through.

The disc opens with a low- pitched, dull drone and a clear, deep voice speaks: "The car is on fire. And there's no driver at the wheel. And the sewers are all muddied with a thousand lonely suicides..." The man goes on, the centerpiece in a recorded interpretation of post- apocalyptic stillness. "It went like this. The buildings tumbled in on themselves. Mothers clutching babies. Dug through the rubble. And pulled out their hair." A violin in the background sounds like a trumpet at a soldier's funeral.

20 people were involved in the making of this album, whose three tracks span the course of three years (1995-1998). As a collective, they've recorded some of the most harrowing soundscapes you may (or may not) ever listen to. And of all avant- garde's minimalist, found- sound experimentalists, these nine musicians are some of the few that haven't left out beauty and emotion in their pieces. We'll see what the future brings for Godspeed You Black Emperor. Let's just hope it doesn't bring a "skyline beautiful on fire... twisted metal stretching upwards."

-Ryan Schreiber