Rating: NNNN
Originally a spinoff group founded by core Godspeed You! Black Emperor members Efrim Menuck, Thierry Amar and Sophie Trudeau, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra (SMZ for brevity) emerged during Godspeed’s seven-year hiatus as the cornerstone of Montreal’s venerable Constellation Records.
Long gone are their sparse ballads and “busted waltzes.” SMZ have struck out definitively into screeching, tightly wound post-metal. Take Away These Early Grave Blues proves Menuck’s long-standing claim that SMZ are above all else a punk band, something they used to demonstrate mostly through ethic and temperament.
Their newfound heaviness may divide listeners – who may also have less use for them now that Godspeed is back – but SMZ’s attention to the dynamics of their buzz-saw strings and Menuck’s yelping, sometimes grating vocals are admirable. More than just another post-whatever crescendo generator, SMZ remain committed to nuance and subtlety while no less committed to getting louder.
Top track: What We Loved Was Not Enough
