Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a Canadian post-rock band that was originally formed in 1994 in Montreal, Quebec. The band has undergone several lineup changes over the years and has consisted of between 6 and 14 members at different points in its history.
Original Lineup (1994-2002)
The original lineup of Godspeed You! Black Emperor formed in 1994 and consisted of the following members:
- Efrim Menuck – guitar, tape effects
- Mauro Pezzente – bass guitar
- Mike Moya – guitar
- David Bryant – guitar, tape effects
- Bruce Cawdron – drums
- Norsola Johnson – cello
- Thierry Amar – bass guitar, contrabass
- Aidan Girt – drums
- Sophie Trudeau – violin
This lineup of 9 members recorded the band’s earlier albums such as F♯ A♯ ∞ (1995), Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada (1999), and Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (2000).
First Reformation (2002-2003)
In 2002, Godspeed You! Black Emperor went on hiatus and several members left the band. The first reformation in 2003 saw the band’s lineup consist of the following 6 core members:
- Efrim Menuck
- Mauro Pezzente
- David Bryant
- Aidan Girt
- Thierry Amar
- Sophie Trudeau
This pared down lineup recorded the album Yanqui U.X.O. which was released in 2002 during the hiatus and breakup period.
Second Reformation (2010-Present)
After a second extended hiatus between 2003-2010, Godspeed You! Black Emperor reformed once again with a lineup of 9 members:
- Efrim Menuck
- Mike Moya
- David Bryant
- Thierry Amar
- Mauro Pezzente
- Sophie Trudeau
- Karl Lemieux
- Timothy Herzog
- Aidan Girt
This lineup released the album ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! in 2012 and went on to record ‘Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress’ (2015) and ‘Luciferian Towers’ (2017).
The band’s current lineup from their most recent album in 2022 ‘G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!’ consists of:
- Efrim Menuck
- Mike Moya
- Thierry Amar
- Mauro Pezzente
- David Bryant
- Karl Lemieux
- Aidan Girt
So in summary, the number of members in Godspeed You! Black Emperor has varied between 6 and 9 members throughout the band’s history since 1994.
Number of Members by Album
Album | Year | Number of Members |
---|---|---|
F♯ A♯ ∞ | 1997 | 9 |
Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada | 1999 | 9 |
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven | 2000 | 9 |
Yanqui U.X.O. | 2002 | 6 |
Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! | 2012 | 9 |
Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress | 2015 | 9 |
Luciferian Towers | 2017 | 9 |
G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END! | 2022 | 7 |
Longest Lineup
Based on the information above, the longest lineup that Godspeed You! Black Emperor has had consisted of 9 members and this was the case for their original lineup that recorded their debut album F♯ A♯ ∞ in 1997 as well as the reunited lineup that recorded Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! in 2012 through Luciferian Towers in 2017.
Shortest Lineup
The shortest lineup was the interim lineup that recorded Yanqui U.X.O. in 2002 which consisted of only 6 members during the band’s initial breakup and hiatus.
Most Consistent Members
The most consistent members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor throughout all the lineup changes and across all 8 of their studio albums are:
- Efrim Menuck
- Mauro Pezzente
- David Bryant
- Thierry Amar
These 4 members have appeared on all of the band’s releases dating back to their initial founding and first album in the 1990s.
Conclusion
In summary, the Canadian instrumental post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor has consisted of between 6 and 9 members throughout its history since 1994. The lineup has changed several times due to hiatuses and subsequent reunions over the years. The most consistent lineup has been 9 members which recorded the classic albums F♯ A♯ ∞, Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!, Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress, and Luciferian Towers. The shortest lineup was 6 members for Yanqui U.X.O. The most consistent members over the years have been Efrim Menuck, Mauro Pezzente, David Bryant, and Thierry Amar who have been featured across all of the band’s albums.