Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra – Kollaps Tradixionales

For over a decade, through six full lengths put out under no less than five different band names, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra have remained consistently potent. Kollaps Tradixionales is SMZ’s first go with Efrim Menuck as the lone guitarist, and also the first release with David Payant playing drums. Kollaps Tradixionales is predictably dissimilar from prior releases. The changes in SMZ seem to have produced a more driving, rhythm-first, sound that is more potent and unnerving than ever. Kollaps Tradixionales is unmistakably more unified than any of the releases before it, but that’s not to say that it has gone away from the expansive Acid Jazz, and loose Blues sounds that have become the band’s signature. The most interesting dynamic of the album is how the wide open tracks like “I Fed My Metal Bird The Wings Of Other Metal Birds” resonate deeper because of the structured frame provided by more traditional rock songs like “I Built Myself A Metal Bird”. It’s this heavy contrast that produces such vivid imagery.

Silver Mt. Zion ’s critics seem to feel that the band’s sound is bleak, and defeatist. Those criticisms will probably continue because on the surface this is a dark album as well. I would argue that this album is honest, and sometimes that truth can be upsetting to people. If you didn’t like Efrim’s previous work with Godspeed You! Black Emperor, or any of the previous SMZ releases, than more than likely Kollaps Tradixionales isn’t for you.

For those who don’t naturally peg slower and more methodical music as depressing than there’s a lot to be found here, that includes a lot of optimism. Tracks like “Bury 3 Dynamos” and “I Built Myself A Metal Bird” are probably the only songs that you could play on their own and sell someone on; I mean who doesn’t love a chorus that cries “dance you motherfuckers”. That’s not a detraction from the album it simply demonstrates the value added by the purposeful and well thought out way the music was arranged. Composed to evoke emotions of impulsive adventure by the time the climax occurs, somewhere close to the end of the penultimate track, it is clear Kollaps Tradixionales is an effort that is best showcased as an entire album.

Tracklist:

There Is A Light
I Built Myself A Metal Bird
I Fed My Metal Bird The Wings Of Other Metal Birds
Kollapz Tradixional (Thee Olde Dirty Flag)
Collapse Traditional (For Darling)
Kollaps Tradicional (Bury 3 Dynamos)
‘Piphany Rambler

Band:

Thierry Amar
Efrim Menuck
Jessica Moss
David Payant
Sophie Trudeau



Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Kollaps Tradixionales, reviewed by Big Ben on 2010-01-14T05:00:01-08:00 rating 4.1 out of 5