F**k Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything

Thee Silver Mt. Zion (in all their permutations) are a critical part of post-rock’s inception, along with founder Efrim Menuck’s other band, Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Both groups are experimental, collective entities that make exciting, unpredictable music (add “aggressive” in the case of TSMZ). Since Silver Mt. Zion’s inception—as a three-piece back in 1999—they've grown both in number and scope. And with F*** Off Get Free, their seventh full-length release, they make clear the weight of their influence. The monstrous opening track roars into life with layers of buzz and howl, a postpunk clang that feels somehow original, slightly dangerous, and faintly toxic. Menuck’s voice is more confident and darkly sage; dissonant violins and thumping toms roil and build until the seven-minute mark, when a mass of sludgy metallic guitar makes its way into the picture, threatening like an oil spill. It’s a massive piece of work. There is sheer beauty here, too, for the fainter of spirit: the lullaby “Little Ones Run” neatly sums up the vibe of FOGF.