While all of the easy Daft Punk comparisons were flying around when Justice released 2007’s Cross, there was something else going on: oh, the dreaded word “prog!” But at this point, with even Kanye bumping King Crimson, it’s safe for Justice to come out of the closet. On Audio, Video, Disco (out now on Ed Banger/Because), instead of isolated moments that sound like a ’70s Italian zombie soundtrack, you’ve got an entire album full of them, with all the greasy thrills implied.
Justice never shies away from arena pomposity, and on opener “Horsepower,” they construct a glittering cathedral of guitar and synth as goofy and glorious as Olivia Newton-John in black leather. While it’s true that some of the glitchy grime of their last album has been sacrificed to the alter of “bigger,” no one can complain about the sizzling action-theme track “Canon” or the conquering grandeur of “Parade.” Disco, prog, arena-metal–they were all tacky and embarrassing in the first place, but isn’t that why they were so awesome? Justice makes a persuasive argument.
-Tom Forget
