''The Cliff'' is the sixth EP by American post-metal band

Pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...

, released through Southern Lord Records on February 24, 2015. Despite Pelican being a predominantly instrumental band, three of the EP's four tracks feature vocals. ''The Cliff'' was released digitally, as a standard 12-inch vinyl, and as an orange vinyl limited to 1,000 copies.

Content

''The Cliff'' features three altered versions of its title track, which originated from Pelican's 2013 studio album, ''

Forever Becoming ''Forever Becoming'' is the fifth studio album by American post-metal band Pelican (band), Pelican. The album was released on October 15, 2013 through Southern Lord Records. ''Forever Becoming'' marks Pelican's first release to not include foundi ...

''. The first of these versions is "The Cliff" with vocals by Allen Epley, who had previously provided his voice on the closing track of Pelican's 2009 album, ''

What We All Come to Need ''What We All Come to Need'' is the fourth studio album by American post-metal band Pelican. The album was released on October 27, 2009 through Southern Lord Records and was the band's first for the label after leaving Hydra Head Records earlie ...

''. The second track is a remix by Godflesh frontman and Pelican inspiration Justin Broadrick. Jeremy Ulrey of ''Metal Injection'' said about this remix, "Broadrick in particular makes the song his own, stripping out the vocals and leaving behind a skeletal drone that sounds like a dead ringer for his own act,

Jesu Jesu may refer to: *Jesus (c. 4 BC – c. AD 30/33), Jewish religious leader and central figure of Christianity **Jesu (name), vocative and poetic form of Jesus' name Music * Jesu (band), a British experimental band formed by Justin Broadrick ** ...

." The third song is a remix of "The Cliff" by Aaron Harris and

Bryant Clifford Meyer Bryant Clifford Meyer (sometimes credited as Clifford Meyer, BC Meyer, Cliff Meyer or Bryant C Meyer) is a keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist, best known for his tenure with Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band Isis. He was with the ban ...

of Palms. The EP's closing track is a Pelican original entitled "The Wait".

Critical reception

''The Cliff'' was met with somewhat positive reception. Zoe Camp of '' Pitchfork'' considered the EP an interesting experiment that hinted at a more melodic, vocally-driven Pelican. Writing for ''Metal Injection'', Jeremy Ulrey said, "it's a fairly disposable addition to the catalog. The key selling point of this release is the original studio mix of "The Cliff", with the remainder of the EP being non-essential lagniappe. Which is kind of what EPs have historically been anyway." Joseph Rowan of ''

Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...

'' said that ''The Cliff'' may only be for devoted listeners, but that it was a worthwhile experiment that should please fans. '' Under the Radar's'' John Srebalus wrote, "''The Cliff'' works as an expertly curated maxi-single, but also as a top-to-bottom journey in inspiration, purpose, and emotional resonance."

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from liners notes. Pelican * Trevor de Brauw – guitar * Dallas Thomas – guitar * Bryan Herweg –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

* Larry Herweg –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

Additional musicians * Allen Epley – vocals (1) * Justin Broadrick – remixing (2) * Aaron Harris – remixing (3), drums (4) *

– remixing (3) * Sanford Parker – guitars (4) Technical personnel * Gregoir Yechen – assistant engineering * Jon San Paolo – assistant engineering * Mika Jussila – mastering * Andrew Weiss – photography * Chris Common – mixing, recording

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cliff, The Pelican (band) albums 2015 EPs Post-metal EPs Southern Lord Records EPs