X: The Godless Void and Other Stories

Summation of their best recorded moments, X echoes the pulverizing claustrophobia of Source Tags & Codes (2002) and sheer aggression of bone-crushing 1999 debut Madonna, erecting walls of drill-bit noise and floating ennui codas.

The Texans still sound like a band capable of stealing hearts forever. [1 Feb 2020, p.55]

A quarter century after they formed, X: The Godless Void and Other Stories is triumphant proof that they're as passionate as ever.

Another rewarding helping of tuneful art-rock that moves their initial Sonic Youth fixations into far more expansive fields. [Feb 2020, p.108]

A consolidation of their strengths--muscular guitars that alternate from hardcore styling to more sensitive deliver--and a greater sense of melody. [Feb 2020, p.90]

Despite how many years have passed and how many other artists have come and gone, Keely, Reece, and company still do a particular thing very well; that alone makes X: The Godless Void and Other Stories worthy of acclaim.

Elaborate but rarely ostentatious, The Godless Void is a true revelation from a band 25 years into the game—the rare Trail of Dead record that lets Keely’s shell-shocked performances chart the necessary emotional peaks without needing the music to follow suit.

Trail Of Dead have always made music to get lost in and this one's a maze. [Mar 2020, p.23]

‘Children of the Sky’ and ‘Gravity’ both prove that its possible for the duo to summon up genuine atmosphere without bogging down the songs with overcooked compositions. There’s still the odd experimental misstep - the meandering ‘Eyes of the Overworld’ in particular - but for the most part, ‘X…’ is endearingly light on its feet in a manner that suggests a real rejuvenation in Conrad and Jason’s creative partnership.