Is it me, or was Y2K a total bust? Call me crazy, but I was genuinely hoping that something interesting would happen. To tell you the truth, I didn't care if the light bulb in my living room blew or a giant animated foot descended from heaven and crushed Times Square-- I just wanted something, anything, to happen.

Blame it on too much Godspeed You Black Emperor. When I started listening to the band last year, I became unhealthily fascinated with the idea of Armageddon. f#a#oo and Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada played out like monolithic reminders of the temporary nature of our civilization-- two separate scenarios for the imminent demise of western culture. The former pointed toward a brooding, gradual disintegration; the latter suggested an explosive, blood- soaked revolution.

A Silver Mt. Zion, a Godspeed side project featuring guitarist Efrim Menuck, bassist Thierry Amar, and violinist Sophie Trudeau, forgoes the thick, orchestral sounds of the Montréal nine-piece, opting instead for a more subtly orchestrated three-to-five-piece arrangement. The result is a sound that, while every bit as powerful as that of Godspeed, is in many ways more affecting. Whereas Godspeed present a sometimes overwhelming wall of sound, A Silver Mt. Zion have turned that intimidating sonic behemoth into a sparse, penetrating beast tearing limb from limb.

Musically, He Has Left Us Alone but Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corners of Our Rooms lives up to its name; silence is prevalent throughout the record. Painting analogies are natural when discussing this kind of music-- the musical elements are arranged in strokes of color on a white canvas. But an abstract art analogy is even more appropriate, as He Has Left Us Alone is almost completely devoid of percussion, allowing the album to achieve a more sweeping dynamic.

Adding to the profoundly personal nature of the record is the relative lack of tape- recorded wackos ranting about the end of the world. There's some highly jumbled speech about Jesus on the opening track, "Broken Chords Can Sing a Little," but aside from that, Efrim Menuck himself has taken on the majority of the record's vocal duties. Initially, it's quite clear why this is the first time you've heard Menuck sing-- his voice sounds like a more nasal (yes, that's right-- more nasal) Wayne Coyne. But on further listen, the inherent nervous and unrefined nature of Menuck's voice becomes remarkably affecting.

He Has Left Us Alone is a work in two movements, "Lonely as the Sound of Lying on the Ground of an Airplane Going Down," and "The World is SickSICK; (So Kiss Me Quick)." While the former does feature occasional lapses into very Godspeed-esque taped vocals and reverb-drenched drumming, the latter marks the most beautiful music Efrim Menuck has ever committed to tape. Angelic violin and plucked cello floats over sparse organ chords, with indistinguishable noises playing through the background.

Of course, He Has Left Us Alone will not rub everyone the right way. Godspeed, if not the most pretentious band ever, is certainly the most pretentious band ever to come out of Canada. And in case you haven't figured it out from the album and movement titles, this record carries all the same elements of pretentiousness as Godspeed, including the long album title and cryptic cover art. But rather than using pretension as an excuse for a shitty record, A Silver Mt. Zion utilize the universally binding emotional effects that this particular brand of "pretentious" music can have on listeners.

For the most part, He Has Left Us Alone breaks little ground in how it conveys emotion, employing descending chromaticism coupled with occasional major thirds to evoke a perpetual sadness, broken by occasional glimmers of happiness. What makes the album such an accomplishment is the fact that these standards have been implemented with passion, skill, and above all, an almost supernatural talent.

He Has Left Us Alone serves as the perfect companion to f#a#oo and Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada. Those records are haunting reminders that the world must eventually come to an end; this album is a reminder that when the world ends, you end, too.

-Matt LeMay