Luckily, this didn't hinder the experience at all. If anything, it was quite liberating for going into a set of completely new material (well, from the new record and some other new songs) because it just proved what fantastic cinematic experiences Silver Mount Zion songs are as they grow from humble seeds in the ground to full blown, full bloomed masterpieces.

Starting with the first half of the new record ('1,000,000 Died to Make this Sound'/'13 Blues for thirteen Moons') it is full of the rock bombast that the new Silver Mount Zion sound have conquered on this latest album and is quite far removed from their humble beginning's as a Godspeed spin-off. However, the set really goes into overdrive when the band showcase two brand new songs: 'I Built Myself A Metal Bird, I Fed My Metal Bird With Wings Of Other Metal Birds' and 'There is a Light' and amazingly, they are perhaps the band's most digestible material to date it that it played with every classic rock and pop songwriting foundation and took it into their own, massive sounding context, (kinda like putting the Beatles through 100 Amplifiers and doubling the song lengths) and is a true joy to behold.

Another great thing about the show that does seem to make a real difference for some doubters, is the genuinely great sense of humour the band seem to share. In between songs they tell amusing anecdotes and share banter between themselves and the crowd, and this truly seems to relax the audience. As a result, unlike so many shows I've been to that require the crowd to participate in this way too (particuarly in London), the atmosphere is perfect and during the band's most delicate moments, you can literally hear a pin drop. The sound engineering is perfect and the performance is enchanting and charming. A truly entertaining gig from a band that have faced many critics, but always come out strong and believing.

God Bless You Silver Mount Zion.