In order to figure out whether or not you will like Explosions In The Sky's cryptically titles album Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever, ask yourself the following questions:

Do i like Mogwai?

Do i consider Young Team to be a better Mogwai album than Rock Action?

Do i prefer songs that fluctuate between quiet and loud, as opposed to slow chiming all quiet songs?

If you answered yes to those questions, then you are a fan of early Mogwai. This album, for all intents and purposes, if the sequel to Young Team that Mogwai never released. Instead of following up on the quiet - loud sonic fluctuations of their earlier work, Mogwai evolved into a band that made music of complex layers that, quite often, is consistently quiet.

I like the new Mogwai. Personally, i feel that Come On Die Young was the best thing they ever did. However, i know that some Mogwai fans will have to pick their chins up off of the floor after reading the blasphemy i committed in the last sentence. Oh well.

At any rate, to those folks who prefer early Mogwai, i urge you to go out and get Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever. Explosions In The Sky are a Texas band who do early Mogwai and do it well.

The songs on this album are built out of layers and layers of guitars. They ebb and flow between volumes, starting off slow and light then building to thunderous crashing walls of sound.

Like Mogwai did on their earlier albums. If you like that, you'll probably like this. If you didn't like it when Mogwai did it, then this will offer you nothing.

There is only one slight non-Mogwaish thing to warn you about, and it's actually what i like best on the album. Have You Passed Through This Night? has vocals. Yes, that's right, one of the memembers of Explosions In The Sky ponders the nature of evil, and whether or not mankind itself is the source of evil. At any rate, it's cool, if a little unnerving. There is one part when he pauses in his speech after wondering "What's killing us?", and what sounds like a gunshot rushes by. Everytime i hear it i jump in my seat (which looks akward at the office, mind you) and wonder "Did he just commit suicide in the song"? But no, the vocalist is fine. Whatever that noise was, he goes on wondering about the end of life on earth and the nature of evil. For a few more minutes at least, until he gives up wondering, picks up a guitar, and proceeds to thrash the heck out of it with the rest of the band. The message here: when confused about the nature of reality, sometimes all you can do is ROCK!

Indeed.

I really like that song. The rural Texan accent works well with the subject matter. In general, Explosions In The Sky do what they do quite well. I think that The Moon Is Down is a lovely tune with an amazing display of guitarwork. In fact, this might be one of the nest songs in this style that i have ever heard. Really chiming and dynamic, with nice martial drumming. The drummer is quite good, and he shines brightest on the rock out portions of A Poor Man's Memory, really punishing his kit.

However, well, it's nothing new. It's well done, but it breaks no new ground and is not going to win any new fans.