I've been gradually working on my Silver Mt Zion back-catalogue ever since Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything blew my socks off in 2014 and became my album-of-the-year. That process has been very gradual - so far averaging two years between purchases. I could happily increase this frequency, but I just don't see the albums in records shops often enough. Still, it's giving me good time to get into each record as I buy it.
The second Silver Mt Zion album I bought was this double 10" copy of Kollaps Tradixionales, which happens to be the album before Fuck Off... (and, as it happens, the third purchase at the start of this year was the one before this one; it appears that I'm working backwards). Norman Records had one of their big sales on and I got it quite discounted - I can't remember the original price, but I paid just under £16 for this, which is a good price. The package is really lovely - Godspeed levels of attention paid to every part - there are two posters, a book, a lyrics sheet (which I have two of, for some reason) and the album on cd. The attention to detail throughout is incredible. I still love the line "and everybody sang" in the notes.
The album itself is really good too. It didn't grab me as instantly as Fuck Off... but over the years I'd say it's settled at a point where I listen to them about as much as each other. Kollaps makes clever use of the four sides of vinyl, grouping the songs on each - it's bookended by two 15 minute songs that take up whole sides of 10" each. There is a Light is a very positive and triumphant song benefiting from some extra horns, Efrim's vocals straining just before Sophie and Jessica take over singing the same lines much more softly. As per my thoughts on the first time I heard the band, Efrim's vocals aren't an easy listen, but they're such a major part of the band you have to love them a bit. Side two features two songs about "metal birds", some punkier songs as far as the band go; side three has the three "collapse" songs, which are the more slow, reflective songs on the album (although the third has a huge riff). 'Piphany Rambler is probably the highlight of the lot, another grand affair sprawling over quarter of an hour, the strings carrying the mid-section beautifully and building to a huge, messy, perfect post-rock ending.
It's going to take me years to get through all the band's albums at this rate - expect more posts far in the future.
Format: Double 10", book, two posters, insert, cd
Tracks: 7
Cost: £15.74 new
Bought: Norman Records
When: 29/03/16
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: cd
