Kollapse prove once and for all that there is a link somewhere between Post-Hardcore and Post-Metal. Just listen to some of the mighty drumming on Sult.
”Drift” or also the middle-part of the third track ”Drukner“ show a band whose drumming is definitely hardcore-infused – maybe a bit more on the Breach-side of hardcore than on the NYHC-side, but definitely hardcore. That a lot of Hardcore- and Post-Metal-bands share the same vocal style is not even a question, but a mere fact. Thus it can be assessed that Kollapse is a good example of the interwoven roots of (Post-)Hardcore and Post-Metal.
The Aalborg, Denmark-based band has seen quite a lot of things happening to them over the last few years. They lost two band members and now write and perform music as a trio but it should be noted that that does not lead to a somewhat simpler sound. Quite the contrary, the way they arrange screeching and tumbling riffs over a really advanced rhythm section is pretty impressive as they combine noise and hardcore with a lot of sludge-dirt into a perfect Post-Metal-Amalgamum.
However, when the last track ”Der Hvor Jeg Tænker Er Der Altid Mørkt” comes up it’s a totally different ballgame: highly atmospheric with a very moody and well-established intro the song leads into a sequence of bass-dominated, slightly doomy Noise-Metal that will be high on a lot of people’s Song Of The Year-lists, it will definitely be high on mine. The middle part again takes a step back and gives the semi-acoustic guitar picking be swallowed by very swirly guitar arpeggios that sound like mini-hurricanes revolving around the track before. And when the trumpet sets in, the band has transported the listener to a whole new world. Awesome. Mindblowing and definitely some positive inspiration on which the genre can evolve.
Kollapse created a monster that is equally harsh and evocative – and infused with a certain kind of longing. Longing for something or somebody, what exactly it is can be induced by every one personally. However, in these times we live in, it is probably not too farfetched to say that their longing is for personal, human interaction. Meeting people, gaining some sort of purpose through them being around, being available for us to take care of them. This record is a document of the times around us, with the consequences of isolation and the need for people. These things can drive one into madness just like the cover of the album suggests. Somewhere between Clockwork Orange, and paintings by Edward Munch, we see a human face without the skin and (seemingly) without any bones being stretched by the eyelids to witness something we can’t see. It is even hard to guess whether it is something horrible or attractive.
The trio is able to bring life to the lack of human interaction through their music, and thus they are a very good soundtrack to our lives in 2020 and 2021. Maybe this will sometimes be considered a Classic-Covid19-Pandemic-Post-Metal-record. It would be well-deserved!
