For years, Fucked Up have been ahead of the curve, not just in Canada but in the worldwide punk realm. They do this by constantly morphing, utilizing any and all influences musically and going out on a limb while doing it. No idea is too ambitious or weird for the band, from flute solos, punk rock operas, a single series dedicated to long-as-hell songs, or overdubbed drums for maximum trippiness. They’ve added another title to the “very long singles” category of their storied discography with “This Mother Forever”.
It is an astonishing piece. Lyrically, from my perspective at least, it acknowledges what we humans really are: children of the earth, made of stardust, and that our little lives are far inferior to the giver and sustainer of our life itself. Musically, the song is structured similarly to the history of our Mother Earth. It all starts quietly, with ambient guitar drones weaving together to create the basis for the song and in this metaphor, the universe. What follows is an explosion of sound, a big bang, if you will. A calamity of light, noise and pure destruction ensues as our Mother is born. Soon we come along, in the form of Damian Abraham’s unmistakeable voice, acknowledging her greatness while destroying her with each passing phrase. Then, it’ll all goes quiet, only for the music to come back and wipe us out like a cataclysmic natural disaster, Abraham’s voice fading into darkness. It ends as it began, with a similar ambiance as its opening, representing the obvious conclusion to this equation, an appropriate one for a band who has lived so many lives: rebirth.
