Customer Reviews

Horses in the Sky

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Upon first hearing this record I couldn't stand it. I echoed the impression that another reviewer had of thinking the vocals were utterly intrusive. But upon a second listen, I noticed something. This is one of the most painfully human records ever written. The lyrics are deeply moving, yet eclectic. The music is at times minimalist, and at others thick and lavish post-rock textures. It has become one of my all time favorite records, and by far one the largest about-faces i've ever had regarding any band. I've never gone from absolutely hating something, to thinking it is one of the greatest things ever written in a period of a few hours, but that is what occurred with this record. I highly reccomend it to anyone. Brace yourself for the possible initial shock which for many people, render this band unlistenable. Once you get over the amateurish vocals (a very easy thing to do, because of how beautiful the lyrics are), one of the most beautiful musical moments of all time can be found.

One of the greatest albums i've ever had the pleasure of listening to.

There is no better (post?)modern band than A Silver Mt. Zion. Not musically, mind you, but as an overall emphasis on sheer, unadulterated emotion; I have yet to come in contact with a band of the past half decade that holds a candle to the immense, affecting fire ASMZ sparks, and that includes the wunderkind known as Godspeed You Black Emperor! from which they spawned.

Like Godspeed, ASMZ is one of the more ambitious bands I've ever encountered. Unlike Godspeed, however, ASMZ is not only epic in scope, but as personal and intimite as the highest art forms. Simultaneously they manage to evoke both of these senses.

I think it's as simple as this. Godspeed is from the brain; ASMZ is from the heart. Shallow and blasphemous, really, but I think that vague analysis gets the message across. Godspeed, great as they are, could never even DREAM about writing anything as haunting as "13 Angles Standing Guard 'Round the Side of Your Bed", from ASMZ's debut album. That particular piece, for me, is perhaps the most personal and loving that I have ever heard in my entire life, and I'm not overstating in the least. While nothing on Horses in the Sky reaches that level of ardor, it's this same sort of sentiment that makes it such a masterful work.

The first song on the album will probably be the first listener's will cling to, primarily for it's pop-nature within the first ten minutes. At least, this was the case with me. However, from the moment that a harmonic chorus shouts "When the world is sick, can't noone be well", the album begins to really become a raw, glaring testiment to the soul.

Efrim's lyrics here shine more than ever before, in my opinion, and I personally never had one problem with his vocals. Don't see why one should, honestly; they fit the tone of the music too well. He is a poetic, expressive singer who never resorts to schlocky, melodramatic lyrics.

This album is the best album I heard in 2005, and one of my favorite albums, period. With this review I try to write as impressively as I can, but in truth that is exactly the antithesis of what this music is -- selfless, infinite Love.

lets face it, for the most part people just view A Silver Mt. Zion as a side project, a second string player to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and for the most part, ASMZ's first 3 albums did little to defy those conceptions. But with their new album, "Horses In The Sky", A Silver Mt. Zion has finally reached their full potential.

The main factor that their albums all boil down to is the vocals. Efrim's voice is an aqcuired taste for sure, but when you can see the sincerity and honesty coming from it, the beauty of it really shines through, despite it being off key occasionally. ASMZ's early albums hit their high points in the vocally driven tracks, such as "Born intro trouble.." majestic closer "the triumph of our tired eyes." Conversely, however, their latest album "This is Our Punk Rock", overdid the rawness of the vocals, making the album a chore to listen to.

But enough of their old stuff, because Horses in The Sky is what it's all about. With this one, the folks in ASMZ have hit their stride. The band always hinted at greatness; they always had it in them to burst out of Godspeed's shadow, and now they've finally done it. Horses in The Sky finds ASMZ's instrumental pieces broken down as far as they'll go, because the vocals are center stage here...and I can finally say that this makes the album better than anything they've ever done. The only track on the album that i dont absolutely adore is "Teddy Rosevelt's Guns", which ironically is the one song that most closely resembles the ASMZ of old. But aside from that one weakpoint, the album is simply amazing. Efrim it seems has finally found the right way to harness his voice to perfection, and the result is simply beautiful songs like "mountains made of steam" and "hang on to each other".

"He has left us alone..." and "Born into Trouble..." where good albums, but stuck to a very conventional post-rock agenda.

"This is Out Punk-Rock" tried to stray from that path, and succeded in that, but little else. The vocals were over done the whole way through, resulting in easily thier least enjoyable album.

and finally "Horses in the Sky" is everything the band could have wanted it to be. They took the concept of "This is our Punk-Rock" and perfected it, resulting in a simple, broken down album that works on every level.

Usually people get tired of kicking a dead horse, or at least that's what word on the street is. Word has it that it's the same thing over and over&over&over...

However, maybe it's because I've simply fallen in love with what everyone is trying to say coming from Montreal (specifically constellation in general, generally mt. zion specifically) but I have not gotten tired of this "horse" at all.

Yes, Efrim's crooning vocals are back, but I actually find them to be more refined and more smooth to listen to. Granted this is relative to him only, because even his smoothest utterence is very nasal and scratchy. Also blame it on Sophie, Ian, Thierry, Beckie, and all the rest's practice lately, because the "choir" actually sounds damn good methinks. However, if you've listened to previous albums you'll undoubtedly know this about Efrim, but the back-up cast might surprise you this time. Also if you've listened to previous albums and have been hit adversely with Mt. Zion's new fancy for vocals, you'll most likely hate this-since they're the focal point of each track this time around.

And honestly they are doing the same thing, they've just become much better at it. These are still protest sounding songs, and they're all still very unsatisfied with...well most everything. As a previous reviewer aptly put, this is a relatively predictable album, especially when considering the formula they've built for themselves. Mt. Zion are simply plowing their own little corner, and I feel like many flowers are blooming still, what a lovely situation indeed.

"Teddy Roosevelt's Guns" is the only track that I'm not quite fond of to be honest. I can see how even some long-time fans are not happy with their latest, and even I admit the vocals become a little self-indulgent (mostly just the aforementioned track).

Anyway, enough ranting. I'm glad Thee Reveries are still pissed and still sad and still full of hope regardless. I do recommend this record, as well as buying from constellation directly.

This is the type of album that you walk away from thinking "wow, that was an amazing album" but without knowing why it was so amazing. There are times that the songs get obnoxious, but when listened to as a whole, it all fits perfectly. Now I cant stop listening to this cd, it is one of the most honest experiences in music I have ever had.

To me this stuff embodies two of the most important attributes that music can: passion and originality. The vocals aren't Dashboard Confessional-esque clean and rich and perfect- would you really want them to be? The music a isn't high-tech effect L.A. studio mastered perfect recording with layers of sweetened digital bliss- Should it be? I don't know what listeners expect from this group but I feel obliged to defend in light of some of the reviews. A friend of mine avoided these last albums based on reviews. I can't claim to know the group's intentions but I'm assuming that people are hearing these albums and expecting something more indirect and malleable in it's interpretation. You could let godspeed move you however you chose- same with alot of previous silver mt.zion. With this album, being almost totally lyric-driven, asmz can't just be morphed into whatever the listener wants, and the meaning is much more direct. If there seems like a major discrepency between this album and the previous music, a change of tone- well I shudder to think how people interpreted the tone of this music when there weren't lyrics to spell things out if this album seems to be out of step with the rest. I can't think of any other music that still screams meaning and hope with some kind of wisdom like the stuff this album is made of. Something different and passionate at least.
"Punk rock should mean freedom. Liking and accepting everything that you like. Playing whatever you want. As sloppy as you want. As long as it's good and has passion."
And buy the albums direct, as others mentioned.

This is a very good albums. I think the lyrics add alot, especially when thinking about the difference in the music between Silver mt. Zion and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The vocals are alittle rough, however, and need some getting used to. The whole downbeat style of the album is amazingly supported by the minimal strings that are added. My biggest problem with this album is the track entitled "Teddy Roosevelt's Guns" i find the line "oh Canada, oh Canada, i've never been your son" to be kind of lame. And being that that is the core of the whole song, i find it hard to get into. However, the harmony at the end of "God bless our dead marines" is phenomenal, and really what made me initailly purchase the album. Except for track four though, i find this to be an excellent album, and if your into this sort of music, then it is a must buy.

Fragmented melodies sung in...fragmented melodies sung in...fragmented melodies sung in...

canon.

I'm glad this album resonates with some people, cause bands like this are important. But each SMZ album seems to have a unique aesthetic theme, leaving people like me either loving the whole CD (Born Into's "achingly gorgeous" strings and This is Our Punk Rock's grieving guitars) or hating it (their other three releases). The theme of this CD is the aforementioned deconstructed chorus' chanting above excrutiatingly sparse melodies. I think *this* is the album in which the vocals are truly overextended, meditating on the are-we-sophisticated-or-are-we-juvenile-or-are-they-one-in-the-same pattern so completely that the entire album can [musically] be contained within a tiny portion of a single song. And that song was already recorded on the opener of This is Our Punk Rock. It was interesting then. Now it's tired. And six songs' worth of tired. Maybe it's subtle character, or maybe it's just crap.

I'll give it two stars in hopes that it's just too far over my head at this point in my life and that maybe I'll love it a few years down the line.

Silver Mt. Zion's progression on their fourth proper album is startling, if only because they've stripped everything down. In many ways, Horses is ASMZ pushing so far ahead of their game that they've circled back to their first record. But it's all new, all reworked, and the vocals and naff lyrics are simultaneously irritating and sincere and lovely lovely, oh lovely. Glorious, life-affirming, complex stuff. Think Pet Sounds. Think Neutral Milk Hotel.

I adore this band.

If you are trying new musics, this is a good choice.
If you are a fan of strange and fresh and daring musics, this is a good choice.
If you enjoy their previous work, I don't need to tell you its worth it.

Some of you who read this will think that this is for you, from the reviews. You'll buy it, and listen to it, and [upon listening] in a fit of betrayed anger, begin to hate us reviewers for making you buy this. A few months later, you find this CD in a forsaken place, stick it in and......you will love it. This is just a prediction, mind you.

Their music is very enveloping, with their ohsosubtle rises to freight train crescendoes (that means climax) and their better blend of voices, which you get to hear frequently on this album. Much to our delight. They are still griping about the sadness of humans, and if you arent doing the same already, you probably will be upon listening to any one of these 6 tracks.

(Despite the low number of tracks, it clocks in at about an hour, something that veterans expect.)

Alot of people can't stand Efrim's (main singer) voice. For those of you are new to this band, you would use adjectives such as "horrible" or "painful to listen to" when referring to his voice. You can speculate as you wish to why he is the main singer, but I believe that when you have created music this strong, and written lyrics this thought-provoking, a pretty voice would almost make them seem less gifted. But, whatever your musical style, this is a good album to have. Its a genre-bender that somehow fits into all tastes.