SET FIRE TO FLAMES Sings Reign Rebuilder (Alien8) Rating: NNNNN
Set Fire to Flames are a supergroup made up of members of Montreal-based groups including Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Exhaust, Fly Pan Am, Hanged Up and others. Thirteen musicians appear on this recording, made over five days in a house slated for demolition. The resulting 12 hours of music was then edited down to the 70 minutes here. Some pieces sound like electro-acoustic collages, others touch on improv skronk, while a few fall into the epic, minor-key dirge category. This is difficult, intense and strangely beautiful music.