Kollapse – "Sult"
Sludge/Post-Metal Sound From Denmark
Kollapse are back. Four years after their debut album "Angst", the sludge/post-metal group from Aalborg, Danmark will release their second record, "Sult", this Friday.
Because I had the honour to listen to the album already, I'll try to summarise my impressions a bit here for you. Maybe this article will develop into a music tip at one point. But let's see.
Kollapse is now a trio
"Sult" will be released on Fysisk Format in collaboration with Maniyax Records, Dingleberry Records and Virkelighedsfjern.
The fact that the last few years (so they say) have been a hard time for the band has not harmed the quality of their music. I think it is quite the opposite: the second work of the sludge combo convinces all along the line.
After two members left Kollapse one after the other, the remaining three searched for meaning. Recently, they reformed as a strong trio. They used last summer to record their second record. Lucas Illanes joined them for their recording sessions and produced and mixed the album. James Plotkin did the mastering.
The ingenious noise of the last century
For "Sult", the three have clearly found some inspiration in the noise rock of the 1990s. It rattles and crashes – and that's a damn good thing! Post-hardcore borrowings and the usual sludge-inspired post-metal style do the rest and provide pleasantly crass dissonances. It is precisely how music has to sound.
Kollapse bring the ingenious noise of the last century into our times. At the same time, they are lifting a shining treasure whose existence we had almost forgotten. Luckily it's back!
With their sound, the Danes blow up all the tiny little boxes into which one could try to put them. They are leaving behind a clear signature which you can only assign to them. The style is unique, unwieldy and impressive.
Kollapse don't fit into a box
The first track, "Drift", blows all petty fuses right at the beginning and shows us the way into a dark, brooding world. The always recognisable concept of the record also conjures up some beautiful shadows from the prog world. It appears again and again between the individual chords only to disappear again afterwards.
The second song, "Knæler", seems almost more powerful than its predecessor and is also in no way inferior to it in terms of gloominess. It is the perfect transition to "Drukner", probably the most post-rock(ish) track on the record.
"Byrd" begins driving and panicked. Will we find a way to stop fate, or will it go on and on through the darkness? The screamed lyrics hang over the song like a dark heavy cloud, unloading in waves. I'm not sure yet, but I think this might be my favourite track on "Sult".
An aggressive dance
"Libido" pulls the listeners into a swirling maelstrom – the drumming is wonderfully precise, beautiful tempo changes transform the song into an aggressive dance.
"Der, hvor jeg tænker, er der altid mørkt" surprisingly contains trumpet sound. It is recorded by Dan Hejslet. The sixth and last song on the record has a reflective and light intro, which is followed by a thoughtful interplay of drums and guitars before pouring out in a sea of melodies.
With a total playing time of 41 minutes, the record is certainly not the longest in this genre. However, Kollapse have managed to get everything perfectly to the point within this relatively short time. The whole work is a beautiful piece of music. The long wait was definitely worth it!
By the way, the incredibly creepy and, at the same time, genius cover picture was painted by Gina Skwoz.
Read my interview with Kollapse here.