Jesu - Conqueror

Listeners expecting the noise that Justin Broadrick brought with Godflesh, Napalm Death, Painkiller, Techno Animal and countless others might not make it past the first 30 seconds of this album. Always one to go against expectations, Jesu sees Broadrick welding post-rock-esque electronica, sweeping and infinite, with future pop vocals - feeble in all the right ways. Although the crashing drums and caustic guitars are mostly coated in lush waves of clean synths, it's still heavy, and the subtleties come out in a way that might not have been apparent on Streetcleaner. The overall mood is positive and sometimes gorgeously celestial. As such, fans of rock that fancies itself as experimental would do well to make this their next step. That said, Conqueror sure won't be inspiring anyone to go out and kill. [Ali Maloney]