A Silver Mount Zion - He Has Left Us Alone but Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corner of Our Rooms
By Russell Garwood
He Has Left Us Alone but Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corner of Our Rooms, is the debut album from Montreal post rock band A Silver Mount Zion, formed by three members of Godspeed You Black Emporer!.
To some extent, Mt. Zion was born out of a desire on the part of the godspeed players to work in a smaller musical ensemble; in effect, to escape some of the constraints that often accompany writing and arranging music democratically with nine musicians
-constellation records
This is just what ASMZ have done, their sound is very much like a stripped down godspeed but much more. Formed by three Godspeed members, namely guitarist Elfrim Menuck, bassist Thierry Amar, and violinist Sophie Trudeau, the music conveys more emotion than their brother band. Written for Elfrims dog, Wanda who died of cancer, He Has Left Us is extremely bleak, and often dark, but with a seductive beauty that runs throughout. From the opening Broken Chords Can Sing A Little with sparse piano chords and sound clips of a preacher through the more textural Sit In The Middle Of Three Galloping Dogs, to the multi-layered 13 Angels Standing Guard Round The Side Of Your Bed there is a kind of winding progression to the album.
Musically, silence is used to good effect throughout, and the large pauses which frequently occur add to the atmosphere. Elfrims nasal vocals on Movie (Never Made) are strangely affecting, and leave me feeling its a shame they are not used more often, even with lyrics like Let's kill first the banker with his professional demeanour/Let's televise and broadcast the raping of kings/Let our crowds be fed on tear gas and plate glass/'Cause the people united is a wonderful thing and, "I know that you're dying, and I know I'm unwell/And together we sashay to variations of hell".
My favourite track has to be the eerie 13 Angels Standing Guard Round The Side Of Your Bed, a track of such astounding beauty it is impossible to be left unaffected by it, however well you know it. However the album (actually made of two pieces, split into tracks for cd) feels like one song, and merges beautifully, negating the need for pretentious song titles.
In essence, while not everyone would like this album, it is a necessity for any fan of music irrespective of genre, and those who let this affected their judgment would be advised to grow up.
By Russell Garwood
He Has Left Us Alone but Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corner of Our Rooms, is the debut album from Montreal post rock band A Silver Mount Zion, formed by three members of Godspeed You Black Emporer!.
To some extent, Mt. Zion was born out of a desire on the part of the godspeed players to work in a smaller musical ensemble; in effect, to escape some of the constraints that often accompany writing and arranging music democratically with nine musicians
-constellation records
This is just what ASMZ have done, their sound is very much like a stripped down godspeed but much more. Formed by three Godspeed members, namely guitarist Elfrim Menuck, bassist Thierry Amar, and violinist Sophie Trudeau, the music conveys more emotion than their brother band. Written for Elfrims dog, Wanda who died of cancer, He Has Left Us is extremely bleak, and often dark, but with a seductive beauty that runs throughout. From the opening Broken Chords Can Sing A Little with sparse piano chords and sound clips of a preacher through the more textural Sit In The Middle Of Three Galloping Dogs, to the multi-layered 13 Angels Standing Guard Round The Side Of Your Bed there is a kind of winding progression to the album.
Musically, silence is used to good effect throughout, and the large pauses which frequently occur add to the atmosphere. Elfrims nasal vocals on Movie (Never Made) are strangely affecting, and leave me feeling its a shame they are not used more often, even with lyrics like Let's kill first the banker with his professional demeanour/Let's televise and broadcast the raping of kings/Let our crowds be fed on tear gas and plate glass/'Cause the people united is a wonderful thing and, "I know that you're dying, and I know I'm unwell/And together we sashay to variations of hell".
My favourite track has to be the eerie 13 Angels Standing Guard Round The Side Of Your Bed, a track of such astounding beauty it is impossible to be left unaffected by it, however well you know it. However the album (actually made of two pieces, split into tracks for cd) feels like one song, and merges beautifully, negating the need for pretentious song titles.
In essence, while not everyone would like this album, it is a necessity for any fan of music irrespective of genre, and those who let this affected their judgment would be advised to grow up.
