Jesu: "Fools"

Few bodies of work are more aggressively misunderstood than Justin K. Broadrick’s, whose prolific output habitually polarizes fans by straddling a handful of traditional genres (metal, electronica) and makeshift styles (slowcore, shoegaze). Even at its erratic peak, though, Jesu’s sound has always sought to marry metal’s gritty low-end with awe-inspiring production and resonant lyrics that together turns Broadrick’s sorrow into something triumphant. And you know “Fools” will hit that stride, its blown-out walls of distortion (imagine Butch Vig blindly skewing his Siamese Dream [1993] guitar mix) shifting weight over cymbal-crashing catharsis. But, in a rare move, this opening cut off Ascension peers beneath Broadrick’s thunderous repute by establishing itself on rustic acoustic guitar and percussion that topples like single-file raindrops.

It’s a left-turn that could’ve evaporated upon the first slab of Jesu’s grandiose instincts but, instead of merely setting up a levee everyone’s expecting to break, “Fools”’s acoustic segment anchors some heart to an otherwise typical Broadrick composition. Those defeated guitar tones continue to haunt over the squall-like harmonics before reemerging fully for a plaintive bridge bearing Broadrick’s vocals—always the soothing epicenter to Jesu’s ferocious exterior.

Not that those vocals are particularly audible. Seriously: “Fools” (and the vast majority of Ascension, for that matter) endures Jesu’s most lopsided production to date, in which electric guitars rage like poorly maintained bandsaws and vocals linger in the far off distance. Say what you will about the electronic-leaning direction of EPs Lifeline (2007) and Why Are We Not Perfect? (2008), at least they harnessed Broadrick’s voice between the chasms of his genre-juggling act. Although its sense of balance is harshly disproportionate, “Fools” largely offsets this hindrance by bravely mixing Jesu’s strengths with his vulnerabilities. It rediscovers the path Broadrick carved out four years ago with Conqueror (2007), and hints at a return to form.