Beach Sloth

World’s Strongest Man - We Don’t Dig Graves With Shovels Anymore 7.3

                World’s Strongest Man is political post rock. This isn’t up to the silent treatment level of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Rather what World’s Strongest Man does is hark back to From Monument to Masses. Much of what that now-defunct band is extremely similar to World’s Strongest Man. Like that defunct band World’s Strongest Man liberally uses samples to get their point across, guiding the listener to the ultimate political statement. Without this guidance the listener may have been brought to the same place. 

                Traditional crescendos mark the first side, ‘Crocodile Tears Alligator Arms’. It starts out with an ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore’. Alongside this relatively angry sample comes rather slow guitar work reminiscent of Tortoise’s slow builds. Indeed the interplay is one of the nicest parts of the track as the entire thing begins gaining momentum towards the end. On the second track things get a little more temperamental. Judging from the opening sample World’s Strongest Man shows what happens when such darkness it allowed to wander freely. For this final track things are far more urgent, faster tempo and more distortion. 

Using samples effectively is particularly troublesome work. Thankfully with these samples World’s Strongest man is able to create a narrative. Mixed alongside shouted words it comes together creating a unified work. Every piece fits into the next. Unity is clear on this recording despite the many different forms of delivery. On message is important for this particular mixture of politics and music and World’s Strongest Man understands this perfectly.