PREMIERE - half/cut's New Single 'Martin Was A Diver'

We have a few premieres coming up over the next few weeks, and first cab off the rank is this incredible number from Melbourne dream pop outfit, half/cut. From their forthcoming debut album Ecco Locale, 'Martin Was A Diver' is a silky, sinuous movement, with Jessie's exquisite vocals stretching and overshadowing, a delicate Siren of confidence. The description of the band's sound as "Cocteau Twins meets American Football" is perfectly balanced here. Their sound shimmers, a mixture of the moddish New Wave pop of The The with more earnest, cinematic mores - pretty incredible seeing the band have barely stepped out into the live arena since their inception a couple years ago. The production may help - the album was recorded by Neil Thomason (Augie March, My Disco) and mastered by Harris Newman (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Arcade Fire) - but half/cut arrive fully-formed. Listen to 'Martin Was A Diver' below, as well as other cuts 'Coming Of Age' and 'Your Shadow Builds A City I Can Never Visit'.

Giant Swan Symphony

Bristol's electroid nihilists Giant Swan continue to stretch the nebulous noise, as can be witnessed on this great remix of Mamuthones' 'Symphony For The Devil'. They are taking part in the Simple Things Festival in Bristol in a couple weeks time - and it's about time people got on board here. Their show at the first Sonic Masala: London showcase was a killer event, and these pedal smashers are only growing in stature. Maniacal genius.

Primitive Motion Makes The World Float By

Brisbane duo Primitive Motion have always been a beguiling prospect for me. The first time I can clearly remember seeing them (although it was about the third time I had ACTUALLY seen them) as Primitive Motion was at the New War show at the Bridge Club in 2011 (what happened to that place? Another venue bites the dust before even getting started...). Leighton Craig and Sandra Selig have always been busy with their constant manipulations of synth, electronics and the style and conventions of the pop aesthetic, whether it be in the various incarnations of The Deadnotes, on solo duties and in other genre-defying acts like Fig. The simplistic keys, the effects, the saxophone, the basic, monotonal vocal delivery, all presented in a cyclical miasma of narcotic wash - it was entrancing, and quite unlike anything I had witnessed before. I still feel that way now, even after having seen them on many occasions since. Their support slot for the Brisbane leg of Godspeed You! Black Emperor caught a lot of people off guard, but it is a testament to the band's unique take on pop conventions (even if their sounds at times struggled to fill the cavernous venue).

Worlds Floating By is Primitive Motion's third LP but their first on vinyl, and it is Bedroom Suck that steps in to help this come to fruition. Not that strange, really - Joe's support of the likes of Angel Eyes and Superstar of recent months shows his savvy ears are pricked for much more than base garage nihilism and apathetic jangle. This album though will hopefully be the jewel that finally enamours the masses, for it is an unqualified gem. The kosmiche repetition, the interplay between Craig's atonal and Selig's soaring vocals, the seemingly simplistic beats and organ tones that nevertheless fuse together to provide an amorphous skeleton for elegant, eloquent drifts into the ether. Songs like 'The Hill' feel maudlin yet exotically beautiful, the music oozing forth like a opaque mist that emanates pastel pulses from within; whilst stronger rock allusions on tracks like 'Skyline' belie the intrinsic machinations of pop convention being manipulated and toyed with, a playful attraction to inverting the norm. Above all else, there is a mirthfulness that permeates this album that supersedes the melancholia, underscores the jubilance, subverts the angularity, tempers the anguish. It's impossible not to get lost in the gauzy miasma of sound that Primitive Motion painstakingly constructs, with every sound a textural marvel that slides into the cyclical whirlpool and adds yet another shade of eclectic hypnosis to the mix. Worlds Floating By is not completely apt an album description - it is you that does the floating, and you will be inexorably stuck in the duo's world forever, hooked on the haze, warmed by their energy, and refusing to ever leave.

Worlds Floating By is out now. Primitive Motion are playing at Sydney's Red Rattler on November 7 as part of this year's Sound Summit (that has made the move from Newcastle this year). They will be joined by Heinz Riegler and Sky Needle amongst a plethora of other likeminded acts. Then it's back to Brisbane for the album launch at Cooparoo Bowls Club, with delectable supports from Cured Pink, Scraps, Screaming Match, Bitter Defeat, Pink Mouse and more.

Boyd Well

It's sad when something of a gem falls at your feet, only to find out that you cannot bask in its glory. That was me and Nirvana - as a thirteen year old I was a little late to the party when ol Cobain dusted his cranium. And of course that speaks to a lot of past glories - the Beatles, the Kinks, the Who, Fugazi... And I've been lucky enough to see bands re surge to something that has equalled if not eclipsed those younger days of their musical heights (Swans, Dinosaur Jr and Godspeed You! Black Emperor being the latest and most prominent of these acts). 

But it is much more likely that you will blink and miss a local act. In Brisbane and other ephemeral melting pots like it in the world, there are so many side-projects, vanity features and one-offs that it is easy to have something slip through your fingers before you even knew it existed. One such band was almost James X Boyd & the Boydoids. Essentially a solo venture for James Boyd (Velociraptor, Running Gun Sound, The Majors), he has been doing the local circuit in sporadic bits and bursts over the past year, first back by the CEOs and now with the much more excellent Boydoids. And just as he releases his first album, Boyd announces that he is winging his way to Europe, thus the likelihood of catching these tracks on this excellent debut record has gone down to slim to none. Which is a downright shame, because this lil bruiser (put out in cassette form by Long Gone Records, with rumours rumbling a vinyl version is in the near future) is one of the best troubadour-esque albums to come out of Australia in a looooong time. Whilst I'd be wary to put it on the same pedestal as Gareth Liddiard's Strange Tourist or Ben Salter's The Cat, in my opinion James X Boyd & the Boydoids is at least on the same dais, even if it's taking out the bronze. It’s understated, it’s founded in a juxtaposition of posturing and frailty, it’s very funny, and it is incredibly measured, dry, well-rounded pop of the highest esteem.

The music itself is tempered, an engine to drive Boyd further into the spotlight. It comes back to Boyd’s drawled, distinctly Australian vocal delivery, and those laconic lyrics that are as steeped in abject romanticism as they are watching The Simpsons and Sunday morning blues. Ordering takeout “if you want to”, singing songs that you can’t get wrong, ditching jobs and travelling the world with painted shoes, being in the movies with friends and people you love – it’s all highlighted with wryness and effervescence, warmth and a twinkle in the eye. And it is indelibly entrenched in the Sunshine State – Blue Apia’s banana trees proving to be a beautiful sight to see, whilst Brunswick Street Junkies revels in seesawing love and revulsion of the tenacity of a Fortitude Valley addict. Boyd’s skewed lyricism is something to behold, and it deserves to be front and centre amongst the warmly buzzing guitars, the subtle piano, and the languid brushstrokes. 

Check the album out below, and buy it here. He does have one final show next Wednesday night, ANZAC eve, at Alhambra Lounge alongside Velociraptor, The Good Sports and Pool Room. It's the official album launch too - it would be sensible to make your way along, I think, don't you? Grab a ticket here. 

...Primitive Motion...

There are some bands that surprise you with their sudden rise in popularity. I'm excited to say that one act that has had light shone in their general direction has been the off-kilter experimental synth pop of Primitive Motion. Made up of ex-Deadnotes members Sandra Selig and Leighton Craig, the duo, much like another underground explorer from Brisbane, Scraps, delve into ethereal melodies and sonic manipulations, loops and echoes, repetitions and monotones, all within some semblance of a traditional song format. Selig's musical dexterity - she often swaps between saxophone, flute, tuba and keys, as well as singing - is the drawcard, whilst Craig's flat vocals are often discordant notes in themselves, all the while the ephemeral oscillations swirl around the elegantly wasted chaos. It is something that teeters on the precipice of destruction, such is its fragility and awkwardness, and it sometimes does. But when listening to the excellent Two Ellipses, their latest cassette (out through Room40 offshoot A Guide To Saints), the magic is indelibly strewn throughout the seven songs' DNA. Admittedly more ambient and drone-oriented than a lot of their stuff, the fact that it sees the duo truly take flight speaks volumes of Primitive Motion's promise. They have enthralled many, and in the past few weeks have picked up support slots for Deerhoof and (most importantly) the coveted opening for Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

You can get Two Ellipses here. Primitive Motion are the headliners in local collective Lofly Records' monthly Hangar showcase this Saturday March 9. Supports are Melbourne's Faspeedelay and locals Ghost Notes. Its at the Waiting Room, $10, BYO. BE THERE.

Primitive Motion - Two Ellipses
Primitive Motion - Unchanging Light

ATP Melbourne 2013 Mixtape

Not much to say really. Im heading off to Melbourne ATP. This is the mixtape that has been floating about the past week – amazing. I don’t want to rub it in, so Ill leave it at this. If you’re at ATP, yell out Sonic Masala and Ill come a-runnin. If not, well, enjoy whatever you’re doing!

Hits From The Box #59 - Can't Sleep, ATP'll Eat Me

 

I've been having trouble sleeping lately. Partly to do with the fact that I'm recovering from surgery, true – but also because its less than a week before ATP in Melbourne. The playlist is a-comin, but to tee things off, I had a pretty high watermark moment last week. I got to interview Aidan Girt, he of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The only print interview in Australia! I can’t claim that it was an easy interview, or even my best – but it was good enough that he extended the twenty minute interview by an extra twenty, laughed a lot, and really seemed to enjoy talking about Crass and Chuck D. So the excitement is palpable. Couple that with the anticipation of seeing said band at ATP (on top of soooooo many other top notch acts, not least of which are Swans and My Bloody Valentine), but also tomorrow night at the Tivoli – its too much! My lil ticker can barely take it – and my head surely cant. Ill try to calm down by seeing Thee Oh Sees on Thursday – who am I kidding? ITS GREAT TO BE ALIVE!

Ahem, but here are some other reasons that life is pretty sweet – it’s Hits From The Box time.

 

Let’s start with Earth Rod. I know very little about them, other than they feature members of Leicester sluggers Thee Ludds who I have featured in the past and am a big fan of (funnily enough it took their split with The Growlers for me to discover the latter band – and that was a special moment indeed – I still can’t get enough of their ‘Graveyard’s Full’ track). The trio have a few trashy tracks for perusal, and they are understandably fast paced, cacophonous and shambolic fun.

 

 

Not far away in Nottingham is the teenage trio Kagoule, whose Monarchy/Mudhole 7” comes out through Denizen Records at the end of the month. There is a lot of wild noise here, yet it is all reined in, a controlled anguish, shoegaze without the gazing at shoes; grunge without the flannelette; post-punk without the leering contempt and social commentary. Yet none of those omissions prove to be costly – this is a dreamy yet ominous form of rock that avoids being airy or self-important. It’s an impressive little record, with a lot of gravitas emanating from a band so young. Definitely keep an eye out for these guys – their debut record (out later this year) could be a sleeper gem. They also are launching the single in Nottingham on Saturday, with a Midlands romp over the rest of the month – check em out if you can.

 

 

Let’s change tack. Wry Climate are a guitar-driven indie rock band from New York that is more in line with the likes of Beach Fossils and Lotus Plaza, albeit more inclined for swirling feedback fades to fill in the gaps between understated contemplations. ‘Comfort Decay’ certainly fits that reference to Lockett Pundt’s solo endeavours, but there is an elongated sprawl here that evokes his “day” band Deerhunter, awash with colour and light as it soars above the sawing guitars. This is the first taste of an upcoming EP – jingle jangle.

Wry Climate – Comfort Decay

 

Hailing from Brooklyn, and mining similar territory, is quartet Lazyeyes. Their EP is out now, and whilst this isn’t as clean cut and relies on reverb too much (it’s an effect that is becoming too much of a fall back without adding enough to the equation), these four tracks hold indelible hooks. Again, that Beach Fossils connection could be made, or even early Dylan Baldi if the bubblegum had soured earlier, but he hadn’t discovered his 90s rock roots. Its moody and melodic, shimmering in the distance, a mirage within the concrete jungle.

 

 

Back to England now – the village of East Malling, to be exact. Its south-east of London, looks nice on Google Earth. Anyway, Tom Greenwood contacted me about these tracks he started playing with a couple of days before New Years Eve. On New Years day, whilst most were nursing headaches, heartbreaks or the toilet, he endeavoured to write an entire album. Ambitious – I was too busy watching Gremlins and drinking ale at a pub in Wimbledon next to a wet shaggy dog. There is a album in that too, probably…anyway, this is the first taste, ‘Give Up’. I hope he doesn’t take on his song title, because this is a warm and soaring track about persistence – it’s actually fairly life-affirming, in a finger-snapping, lysergic kinda way. it's got heart, and I’m won over, at any rate. I'm looking forward to the next instalment to this NY burst of creativity. (Seriously though – write a song about watching Gremlins and drinking ale in a pub in Wimbledon next to a wet shaggy dog).

 

 

And not far away, in Bristol, we have Joe Sherrin AKA Milo’s Planes. Sherrin drums in both Let’s Kill Janice and Me, You & Thomas (both bands being on the Howling Owl Records roster), so he is a dab hand in the local scene. Milo’s Planes has been the name for his solo material, but this time around he has fleshed it out some. In the past year alone he has written an album and 4 EPs worth of material. This is his latest set of demo offerings, initially only intended for Sherrin’s girlfriend before she convinced him to show the world. It’s all recorded into one microphone in his brother’s room, hence the overriding ride cymbal – yet it all complements each other. There is a laconic griminess to these recordings that fit in well with Sherrin’s songwriting, a mixture of DC garage punk and indie off-kilter melody – think of a more dissonant Superchunk or Black Lips doing Pavement covers. I really like this stuff – it’s the ground zero of something that could be quite productive. Hey, I really didn’t like Yuck when they first came out and they turned out pretty good – this has similarities, yet I'm already a fan. Can’t go wrong there.



Happy Tuesday!

Godspeeding You A Black Emperor's Gift

 

I haven't been able to write for the past four days - and cannot today either. Here is my amends - listen to the stellar Godspeed You! Black Emperor album! Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! is out now through Constellation. I hope this suffices!

Pontiak Cruise The Comecrudos

Ive had a hold of this one for months, but now its finally here - SM fave Pontiak's new EP Comecrudos. I spoke to Jennings from the band at the beginning of the year when he handed the tracks over, and he stated that it started as an experiment. It certainly is removed from their previous releases - there is a deep sens of GY!BE here, due to the elegiac, brooding atmosphere that is languid and pervasive in its creation.

Set in four parts (surprisingly named Parts I-IV), the first thing most people will notice is the use of horns. These are used so disconcertingly, intertwining with crunchy, distorted feedback so as to create a dark, lunar landscape that is as invigorating as it is alien. The idea for the album apparently came from Phoenix to Texas on Route 385. The brothers were captivated by the sprawling landscape, the immensity and complexity of the geology and the beauty. They camped in an old volcano crater under a full moon and hiked ridges alongside the Rio Grande.

The craziest thing about this menacing release is that no distortion or overdrive pedals were used in the making of this record. Pontiak kept their gear bare, reflecting the landscape itself. When you hear how epic the sounds are in 'Part I', you will understand how astounding this revelation is. It just swirls around you, freezing you to the spot, turning you to stone and smashing you into myriad pieces, all in slow motion. The track bleeds into 'Part II' - until it breaks into an acoustic, Pink Floyd-meets-Morricone number, squelching in the background sounding like birdcalls - a brilliant song. 'Part III' steers closer the familiar Pontiak stoner drone psych that we know and love, but indelibly imbued with the lunar landscape that has inspired their creative spirit, Closer 'Part IV' rolls these three suites into a collective whole, before shooting off into an invisible Otherworld beyond this existence.

Thrill Jockey are putting out Comecrudos tomorrow. Order it here - it truly is a fucking killer release, and has me even more anxiously anticipating their next LP release, which at this stage won't be until next year. My favourite EP of the year thus far, hands down, and running for best release. Get it!

Pontiak - Part III

Fa Fa Fa Far Out

Its nice to get a new album in the mail by a band you know nothing about, throw it on and fall for its charms on the first listen. This has happened to me twice today, which must be unprecedented.

The first album is this one, What Made Those Holes And Rents, by Reno indie kids Fa Fa Fa. Its got some pedigree - its been recorded by none other than Howard Bilerman, responsible for the Godspeed! You Black Emperor albums. Yet these nine tracks are more akin to Bilerman's more recent output, where he has worked on indie gems by the likes of Wolf Parade and the Arcade Fire. Its an interesting blend of sounds and genres, floating from the more generic college indie rocker 'Camden' (although it contains direct links to TS Eliot's amazing poem "The Hollow Men") to the OMD inflected 'Le Ciel '74' to the woozy jam that is the titular track. They love to play around with convention, which is fitting seeing as their name references the familiar repetitive refrain from Talking Heads' seminal song 'Psycho Killer' - and the hats are tipped further on 'Horns For Horns'.

Admittedly this amount of genre hopping does make the head whizz, but when most of the tracks hit the mark it makes for a great listen - and the perfect launchpad for a band to assault the sense both now and in the future.

What Made Those Holes And Rents is out now - you cant get it either at their Bandcamp or here. There's a rumour that they will be doing something with the cool San Franciscan label 20 Sided Records later in the year too - keep an eye out for that for sure...

Fa Fa Fa - Great Ocean Explorer

Fa Fa Fa - Give The Lie To

The Exceptional Empire Express - Heavenly Brilliance

The post/krautrock ensemble Empire Express are based in Stockholm, Sweden. The band has been embraced by artists like Broken Social Scene, Stars and Faust - all Canadian bands/artists/collectives, and won The Music Think Tank International Awards & Festival 2010 in their genre with the song 'Stronge 7 km'. Their "top friends" on Myspace list Explosions In The Sky, Mono, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, ...And You Will Know Us From The Trail Of Dead, Do Make Say Think and Dinosaur Jr. They have only played a handful of shows, almost all of which have been in their home country.

And whilst this will give an indication of the calibre of this group, forget all that. You must know only this - Valleyland is fucking amazing. This is the kind of post-rock album that the titans refrain from making anymore, so thank you Empire Express! Valleyland has the perfect blend of harmonious melodies, whimsy and cascading sonics, so much so that opener 'Stronge 7km' - their first ever written song - was hailed by Faust's Zappi Diermaier as his favourite song ever. And he isnt half wrong - this entire album is exquisite, in the way that Explosions In The Sky are, but with horns. Thats Empire Express in a nutshell then - Explosions... with horns.

If this band doesnt go stratospheric this year, its a crime. Do not miss out on this one - pick it up ASAP and guaranteed it will become jammed in your subconscious for days - nay, months - to come. Gush...

Valleyland is out now through Western Lodge Records.

Empire Express - Stronge 7km
Empire Express - Asil (part 1)

Halves Go On & On, Forever & Ever...

Halves released their first LP It Goes, It Goes (Forever & Ever) a couple months backon HATEISTHEENEMY Records, and the Dublin based trio (sometimes quintet) have created a beautiful montage of a record that seems synonymous with the winter wonderland weather we are currently experiencing. Recorded mostly in Montreal in Godspeed You Black Emperor's studio, Halves have carved out wintry yet warm soundscapes, the melodies driving these haunting vignettes fuelled by a heady mixture of whispering drums, barely there basslines and warbling guitar, all heightened by electronica and more classical instrumentation and backing by the Kilkenny choir. The occasional front line vocals echo throughout, like a distant call from a disembodied voice in the forest. Comparisons to Icelandic menagerie Mum are warranted (especially on tracks like 'I Raise Bears'), but largely unnecessary - Halves are their own otherworldly beast.

Halves - Blood Branches
Halves - Mountain Bell

A Ghostly Presence

Another band that I havent got out of my system since gaining my iPod privileges back is Because of Ghosts. An instrumental rock three-piece that call Melbourne their home, Because of Ghosts have honed their post-rock leanings over almost a decade of incessant touring. They utilise looped guitar, bass, field recordings, wind-up toys and drums to merge eerily abrasive experimentalism with moments of gently shimmering calm. Its something special to think that a band that proscribes to the 'post-rock' genre can scratch out a niche all of their own - and these guys have easily done that. The organic nature of each track is not only impressive, but etches itself into your psyche so effortlessly that its unbelievable they haven't received more recognition! Even if they have some heavy hitters in their corner - Efren and Howard of Godspeed! You Black Emperor helped with the production of their 2nd LP, This Culture of Background Noise, with some appearances by G!YBE's Theirry and Jessica...

Well, I aim to rectify that today. Please hunt down their releases - there aren't many, and they are immaculately decked out, with the artwork done by guitarist Reuben Stanton. They are brilliant - make sure you give them their dues, stat!

Because of Ghosts - Dreaming Is Essential
Because of Ghosts - You Fool! Your House Is Built On A Frozen Lake

Baby-eating radness

Do not go to Bali.

Wow, a rather strong statement to make, even if Sonic Masala does not have the clout to bring down the entire Indonesian tourism industry...yet...

But the statement is not meant to be literal. For no one in the world is safe from Rangda, the new collective 'supergroup' that is eviscerating eardrums everywhere via their latest LP, False Flag. Made up of Comets On Fire/Six Organs of Admittance dynamo Ben Chasny, percussion master Chris Corsano and Sir Richard Bishop (of Arizona noise wizard trippers Sun City Girls), Rangda (monikered after the Balinese witch doctor both reviled and adored for her chaotic veagence - see, I was leading somewhere with all this) are a full throttled noisefest, sludging guitar rock of monumental proportions. And they are not trying to paint their wagon in any other fashion - from their own name to song titles such as 'Bull Lore', 'Fist Family' and 'Serrated Edges', these boys are here to tear your being to the ground and devour the child within. Seriously scary stuff then - and immensely satisfying.

But that little grab of words doesn't do False Flag justice. Ive had it in my possession for over a week now, and every time I listen to it I am drawn more and more to it. Its not just the volcanic fury inherent in every bludgeoning sound that makes me salivate - it is the innate intricacy, the soul that writhes within each track, that is equally if not so more enchanting. It is a fucking awesome record, especially for the incendiary drumming of Corsano - what a fucking god! - so imagine catching them live? It would have you throwing your own child into the blender just to appease them.

False Flag is out through Drag City now. They played in London last Thursday, same night as Liars, Male Bonding and my book launch. Suffice to say that last Thursday was not particularly fair to all those bands, what with the hordes of avid readers keen to get their mitts on my grubby novella - but hopefully Rangda will (dis)grace us with their presence in the very near future - including the Godspeed You Black Emperor-curated ATP in December...

Rangda - Bull Lore
Rangda - Serrated Edges

Red Sparowes Provide the Fearful Answer

Having culled current and former members from the likes of Isis, Halifax Pier and Neurosis, Red Sparowes goes to great pains to distance itself from those popular merchants of doom. And for the most part, it’s right to disassociate itself from the propulsive assault—the post-rock band’s most dramatic moments arrive in undulating waves rather than crashing full bore on the listener’s head. The band takes a page from Explosions In The Sky and Godspeed You! Black Emperor's epic soundtracks and marries them to the sinister buzz of early Sonic Youth for a uniquely disquieting sound.

I came to these guys via viral association - whereby a search engine or site (think Amazon) gives you recommendations based on what you have viewed/bought (an article on this 'phenomenon' to follow soon...). This was one of the few they got right.

Red Sparowes are about to launch their 3rd LP, The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer. Produced by Toshi Kasai (Tool, Melvins), who also engineered their Aphorisms EP of 2008 (released as a 12" in 2009), the album promises to be a progression on their pursuit of the perfect balance of darkness and light. Expect an album review in the upcoming weeks. While you wait (hopefully in anticipation), sample a track from it below.

Red Sparowes - In Every Mind

You can't see the daggers for the swords...

Forest Swords is a one man band - an enigmatic producer and musician who hunkers down out Wirral/Liverpool way. His musical leanings are indicative of his geography - the dark stringwork and guitar at times akin to F@A! era Godspeed! You Black Emperor, reverb soaked vocals, dub-step sampling, tribal drums, all providing a cold, enveloping presence. Its actually quite brilliant. He has just released his first LP, Dagger Paths, which includes this amazing cut, 'If Your Girl', which according to the Fader is an Aaliyah cover. Interesting. He also put out a mixtape, which had remixes of Burial+Four Tet and Wild Beasts, which is well worth a listen. I really really like this album - source it out. Its haunting and quite dark, yet utterly addictive. Also below is one of a 'triptych' of Forest Swords' videos, all available on Vimeo.

Forest Swords - If Your Girl

Forest Swords - Glory Gongs from OESB // FUTURE SOUND on Vimeo.

Album review - Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra's Kollaps Tradixionales

Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra, in all its guises (A Silver Mt. Zion/The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band/Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band with Choir/Thee Silver Mountain Reveries), have struggled to get the acclaim that they most rightly deserve. The sole reason why is due to Silver Mt Zion (as they'll be referred to for the rest of this review) being formed by Efrim Menuck. Who? Just one of the core members of the seminal underground instrumental rock giants Godspeed! You Black Emperor. Mt Silver Zion was initially formed in 1999 so that Menuck could learn how to score music and do his own thing. Now, five albums in, has he and his collective managed to sneak out of his former band's all-encompassing shadow?

Whilst initially the band followed Godspeed's process of using samples instead of proper vocals to drive their compositions, Menuck has grown into a very comfortable leading man, his vocals (and indeed his music) moving forth at a great, and somewhat frenetic, rate. So much has been made of the evolution of this band , and indeed Menuck's vocals/lyrics, due to their genesis that it is often difficult to distinguish between the disappointed and the petty, the believers and the haters. And whilst the most notable difference in the two bands' sound are the vocals, and they have never been more prevalent than on new LP Kollaps Tradixionales, this is just one of many differences to Mt Silver Zion and their new album that not only makes them unique, but makes them an exciting and relevant band on their own merits.

'There Is A Light' is the most epic track on the album, and also serves as its opener, showing the ambition and grandiosity that have been mainstays of the band since their inception. What we also get is what I (and I imagine many Silver Mt Zion fans) have wanted in a while - an amalgam of the graceful soaring compositions of their earlier releases combining with their more angular and angry rock jams of latter years. So in the opening track we see the music rise and fall, an ebb and flow that reaches higher highs and lower lows with each try, yet never losing sight of its message of hope and self-worth. It is a truly beautiful piece of work, and as the strings, brass and percussion intermingle even four minutes into the 15 minute showcase the listener is in awe, showing that Menuck certainly has grown as a composer over the past decade.

It must be said though that this band is still very much the Rock Band that Menuck has been pushing it towards, as is evidenced by the new addition of tight drummer David Payant, and he is put to work on the next 'piece', the one two punch of 'I Built Myself A Metal Bird' and 'I Fed My Metal Bird The Wings Of Metal Birds', a dystopic maelstrom of grinding exultation, Menuck's creaky wail a constant throughout, ranting at us:

Did you see that star go out

I seen it burn
That little star went out,
Your little eyes went out...

before telling us to dance, motherfuckers. The nihilistic, politically charged soundscapes are further augemented by dark lyrics about burning flags and mud and charred earth, before coming to an audacious and yet world weary close on the other large track, 'Piphany Rambler', which strays from the book somewhat by never exploding like its predecessors on the album, providing no tension or catharsis, but preferring to trudge over the horizon, a truly dour and yet fitting close to this experential album.

In my opinion, the amalgam of various Silver Mt Zion musical tropes from over the decades and Menuck's vocals soaring over the top truly comes together on Kollaps Tradixionales. It is another of those true albums - one for the headphones. And yet it still has some outstanding stand alone tracks. This is just begging to be played live...

Luckily for you, you can see it in all its glory at Camden's Electric Ballroom next week, Tuesday 23rd March. Tickets are selling fast. It truly will be a sight to behold, so have a taste below.

Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra - There Is A Light