Like 2009′s Opiate Sun EP, Justin Broadrick’s next Jesu collection, Ascension, is coming out via Mark Kozelek’s Caldo Verde. This new 10-song offering, his third proper LP amid all those EPs and splits, is his first “traditional” longplayer since 2007′s Conqueror: Remember, 2009′s Infinity was one 50-minute song. I reiterated Broadrick’s resume when posting Heart Ache & Dethroned‘s “Annul” and again with one of his recent Pale Sketcher tracks, so no need to go in depth here — just remember to meditate on Napalm Death, Godflesh, Techno Animal, and Jesu’s continued obsessive refinement while listening to the gorgeous half-speed airy crunch of guitars, synthesizers, and barely-there vocals on “Birth Day.”

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A few months ago, when we posted Jesu’s “Annul,” I set up the Heart Ache & Dethroned track like so:

The more metal, shoegaze, various “posts,” and electronics intersect, the more obvious it is ex-Napalm Death/Godflesh/Techno Animal Justin K Broadrick’s been at the forefront of something even before he started Jesu seven years ago. Of all his projects, though — the older Final, more recent Pale Sketcher included — Jesu crystallizes his personalized blend of drone, metal, industrial, electronics, shoegaze, ambient, noise, and disarmingly fragile melodies.

Because the man never rests, here’s a song from his Pale Sketcher project. It further elaborates and refines the above, finding Broadrick investigating and inhabiting a full-on electronic world that should still be appealing to folks who don’t dance. It’s the opening title track from the new Seventh Heaven EP, the followup to the 2010 Pale Sketcher debut Pale Sketches: Demixed.

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The more metal, shoegaze, various “posts,” and electronics intersect, the more obvious it is ex-Napalm Death/Godflesh/Techno Animal Justin K Broadrick’s been at the forefront of something even before he started Jesu seven years ago. Of all his projects, though — the older Final, more recent Pale Sketcher included — Jesu crystallizes his personalized blend of drone, metal, industrial, electronics, shoegaze, ambient, noise, and disarmingly fragile melodies. This re-release of Broadrick’s first Jesu offering, the 2004 Heart Ache EP, proves the point in shimmering, crunchy spades. The collection features the two slow-build 20-minute tracks, “Heart Ache” and “Ruined.” Both sound fresh, while managing to outline what you’ll come to expect from Jesu over the next few years. (Those vocals in the middle of “Ruined” still send shivers.) For this Hydra Head double-disc/LP re-release, Heart Ache‘s been paired with the four-song, 30-minute Dethroned. Broadrick initially wrote and worked on Dethroned in 2004, around the time of Heart Ache, but didn’t finish it until this year. If you listen to the two collections side-by-side, the similarities and differences offer a great way to trace an evolution. Get started with Dethroned‘s driving second track, “Annul.” It nails that heavy/soft thing.

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Since a superb self-titled 2005 debut, original Napalm Death guitarist/Godflesh founder Justin K. Broadrick has been refining Jesu’s increasingly honed catalog of “shoegaze metal” (even if he chaffs at the term), dispatching heavy fuzz with a fragile inseam. Dude’s recorded some of the most gorgeously crunchy albums of any given year — including 2007′s Conqueror and the airier just-released Lifeline EP — and he’s not afraid to be GBV productive: Between splits and comps and propers albums and EPs he’s managed five releases in 2007 alone.

All this to explain why Jesu’s less-than-excellent set at Gramercy was more than a bit confusing (especially because they killed at SXSW, etc.). Replacing his trusted drum machine with Black Noise Cannon’s Phil Petrocelli sounds great on paper … but, well, not so much on Saturday night’s stage. Actually, the drums started blending in more nicely a few songs into the set, but once those levels (and Petrocelli’s timing) were repaired, the vocals lost their bottom: Conqueror standout “Old Year” sounded nearly perfect until Broadrick started sighing a bit too thinly. He has the laptop and bassist churning-out layers beyond his own voice and guitar, but the overall mix often sounded too tiny. Between tracks someone yelled, “It’s too fucking quiet.” Agreed: As a friend pointed out, you could talk to your neighbor without raising your voice. Love the direction Jesu’s going on record — subtler and subtler gradations — but live it needed more torque (or, well, the dynamics of Torche).

Can’t blame the acoustics on the venue — before Jesu took the stage, Miami stoner quartet Torche absolutely slayed amid a rainbow of lights, Earth-sized heaves, crazy-ass drum signatures, and extended/indulgent breakdowns. It was pure doom-y eardrum (smashing) candy. But when Ozzy-enunciating vocalist Steve Brooks yowled “War is beautiful” during a blistering “Charge Of The Brown Recluse,” the sludge grew poignant in a way you rarely experience at levels of bonged Sleepiness. In fact, the guys were so much fun, we forgot to take pics. So, if you will, close your eyes — like Torche did for most of their set — and imagine it all instead. Sweet.

A little more Jesu after the jump.

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