Review: EF ‘Give Me Beauty… Or Give Me Death!’ [20th Anniversary Reissue]

Hailing from Gothenburg in Sweden, EF have spent the last twenty years building a name for themselves, which has seen them become one of the most pivotal bands of the whole post-rock scene.

Back in 2006, they released their debut album Give Me Beauty… Or Give Me Death!A six-track revelation, and here we are twenty years later as they are reissuing this stupendous debut with a couple of extra tracks that never found their way onto the original.

In 2012, the band had the original version remixed and remastered, and back then, one of the unreleased tracks, Misinform The Uninformed was finished and then subsequently included, but it’s only on this 20th anniversary edition that the other track, Noll, has finally found its home too.

So, what started as a six-track opus is now an eight-track affair, and if you haven’t been exposed to EF up to this point, then you are coming aboard with the maximum Give Me Beauty… Or Give Me Death!experience, you lucky, lucky things.

I’ve had the opportunity to see EF live twice, and I own a fair proportion of their back catalogue, so I have a very clear awareness of them, but to this point, I’ve not had a copy of Give Me Beauty… to put on the stereo and play on repeat, so getting the opportunity to talk about this reissue has been a real joy to undertake.

I caught EF recently in London, and they were absolutely mesmerising live, and so getting to hear some of the tracks from this reissue was also incredibly special. But anyway, I digress….

Give Me Beauty…2025, or 2026 as the case may be, is now an eight-track masterclass in how post-rock should be done. It’s wonderful and special intensity is sublimely matched by its ability to be soft and warm when necessary, and the feelings it gives of serenity and calmness really is magical. Their monumental skill in precision playing and virtuoso musicianship cannot be understated. This album really is epically luscious, and from its inception to its ultimate climax, there is no lull in the joy throughout.

Opening with Ett, a light and delicate introduction, EF provide a gateway into their souls. It sets the stage for the album, and as it progresses, so too does its vibrancy. Dropping back towards the end, it ties off as it began, simply and serenely.

the musicianship is simply breathtaking, and this remastering allows every sound to shine, an absolute triumph…

This is the point where the two ‘new’ tracks find their feet on the album. Misinform The Uninformed and then Noll give a new vibrancy to the album, which, if you are a long-time listener, will hopefully be a pleasant new interjection to proceedings. As someone who’s only recently come to this album, I find it almost impossible to even imagine it without these tracks. Both are so necessary to the overall experience, and give an air of urgency that I feel is necessary to maintain the intensity.

Track four, Hello Scotland, has long been considered one of the tracks that best encapsulates the definitive EF sound, and if you were to point at any specific moment to educate a non-believer, then it is here where you would arguably rest your fingertip. It really is a powerhouse moment, and considering it’s almost twelve and a half minutes long, it’s effortless in the way that it floats through your soul. Truly one of the most beautifully constructed pieces of post-rock music ever committed to tape, its warmth and heart leave you fulfilled and emotionally richer.

By this point, it’s easy to believe that you will have just switched off, power down, and let EF carry you away into a sonic vortex. A rollercoaster of highs and lows, of peaks and troughs that want to transport you to a different state of being, and by giving yourself over to the experience, it means that you will get the maximum out of it all.

The next two tracks, Final Touch/Hidden Agenda and He Came, He Stayed, He Fell, are the perfect mix of elements to do just that, and where the former is more intense, the latter brings things back down to a plateau, a place for introspection.

The penultimate Tomorrow My Friend is almost fifteen minutes long, and just like Hello Scotland, it catches EF’s full majesty perfectly. At no point does it feel drawn out or unnecessary as the journey you are taken on is divine. As with the rest of the album, the musicianship is simply breathtaking, and this remastering allows every sound to shine, an absolute triumph all around.

As …We’ll Meet in the End rolls in to finish the opus, it gives one final chance to provide a warm fuzzy feeling deep down inside and perfectly ties off the most heartwarming of experiences.

Absolutely first class from start to finish, this is the stuff dreams are made of. Twenty years in existence, and still as fresh as ever, this is an essential for any record collection. Magical, purely magical…

Label: Pelagic Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Scribed by: Lee Beamish