Jesu - Silver

There’s a lot of Jesu stuff out there now – I think this project ended up being much more productive than even Justin Broadrick could have anticipated when he first started lurching out the aching melancholic drones of Jesu. Silver however, simply has to be some of the best material recorded under this moniker. It fights for the top spot against Lifeline, which was the first Jesu release I heard and therefore I have an immense soft spot for. I think Lifeline is probably more solid overall, but Silver might just take the crown simply because of the title track alone.

 

"Star” and “Wolves” are also two fantastic Jesu songs ranking high up there, but “Silver” itself is something else. It has the components of any other great Jesu track; the droning, distorted guitars and bass creating a wall of sound, a basic drumming backbone and a bright, melodic synth to carry the whole thing. It’s a brilliant song but it’s not until the middle of the track that all these components come together so beautifully that it sends shivers up my spine every single time I hear it. The band chug through their heartbroken metal whilst that synth just fucking soars and unfolds and goes on and on and on…Then the vocal kicks back in; “Silver’s just another gold…” repeated over and over and over. I’m not sure of the intended message in this song but I get feelings of reassurance and comfort, as if it’s saying “things aren’t the best, but they could be a lot worse. Look on the bright side, pal!”

 

The only time I’ve ever taken magic mushrooms (well, Dutch truffles) was the day that Jesu played Roadburn 2012 and the experience, although mild, peaked during the band’s set. I was able to intricately study the music and dissect it in my head, really get behind every aspect of it, and hearing “Friends Are Evil” and “Silver” in that way nearly brought me to tears. It was a powerful moment I’ll never forget and definitely brought me a lot closer to Jesu’s music.

 

If you’re gonna play this video, please play this as loud as you possibly can.