Fresh off the release of their behemoth of a new offering “Phantom Centre”, Swedish post metal sludgers KOLLAPS/E are back to our pages with a special track by track treatment for each of the new songs!
In the post-metal genre, it is almost impossible to avoid comparisons to other artists. However, building in loads of intensity and blending elements of post-rock, thick riffed sludge, densely atmospheric post-metal, and gritty post-hardcore, KOLLAPS\E stands out with a diverse range of sounds and flavors that demonstrate their creativity.
“This album is a labour of love and frustration.” – comments the band. “Frustration because it’s the first time we have attempted to record an ‘album,’ with very little knowledge about recording/mixing. And just the amount of time spent to get it done! Many sleepless nights working on it! The road has been less than straight!”
ERA:
First track of the album and the first song in Swedish! ERA has the same meaning in both languages. The lyrics deal with where we are at, in this point of time where we are forced to spend our lives living on our knees, our freedoms threatened and being numb, cold and indifferent. Bombarded with fake news etc to prevent us from ”rising” up and ”fighting” back. Burdens are so heavy That it feels like wading through quicksand.. a lot of effort but nothing gained.
Musically it’s in the vein of ISIS/Pelican (if I have to choose references) with the heavy opening riff. And then it Kind of ebb’s out and lulls you in, before it goes back to slow/heavy and down tuned at the end.
BEAUTIFUL DESOLATE:
Lyrically it revolves around the concept of looking glass-self and the pitfalls of mirroring yourself on others and not knowing who you are at the core. It’s easy to lose yourself and go to a place of unhealth mentally. And in there you can stay in this ”beautiful desolate”. Times passes and in time the way road back is a lot harder.
This song is one of the first ones written (with the pandemic sessions) but it has been reworked and changed a couple of times before we settled on this version that ended up on the album.
UHTCEARE
(An Old English word meaning to lie awake anxiously before dawn)
Instrumental and the longest track on the album.. almost 9 minutes long with the first 2 minutes being Effect laden guitars, synths and bass. Beginning quietly to symbolize the moment before you wake and open Your eyes feeling out of sorts.. and the growing Anxiety of what lies a head. When the song erupts the angst is at its peak and the unnerving feeling of not Being able to focus. You feel lightheaded. Everything is utterly chaotic. Until It all comes to a stand still and it goes back to the the lonely Effect driven guitar and fades slowly..
ANAEMIA
Anaemia came together fairly quick. I had it in my mind that I wanted to do something like Breach – Penetration, last song on their Venom album. I just loved how that song is constructed and the dynamics of it. Lyrically it revolves around us being bloodletted For the sake of acting as lifeblood for the apparatus.
BRÄNT BARN SKYR ELDEN (Once bitten twice shy)
2nd song as a band. This one was on the back burner for a long time. We had the first minute and then we couldn’t decide in what Direction we wanted to take… it end up with that last dissonant riff and breakdown. And then we where like, yeah why not make an 2 minute Song.. As long as it feels right. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in how long the song is instead of feeling it. The first Part of the song is an post-production creation with synths and ambience.
This one is as you have figured out in Swedish and its about even tough you had bad experiences that you don’t want to repeat And that you should shy away from you do the same thing all over. Like a moth to a flame!
RADIANT//STATIC
This one was already featured on ”The pandemic sessions). And we did a re-master for the album. It got included along with Murrain because People wanted to see it on physical media. We thought about doing a vinyl 7” but that was just out of our price range. Anyways, this is a sludgy sledgehammer In the vein of the sludgier Converge stuff.. it’s short and heavy and melodic at the same time. And I think this song set the path on how we wanted to write Our songs and what we wanted to include..
The overlapping theme of the song is that we let ourselves be influenced and guided through our ”screens” without questioning the source of origin.
Brainwashed and misguided to believe whatever nonsense someone wants you to believe.
MURRAIN
Last one on the album, and also the first song we ever released. This track has helped us reach far into the world in it’s 2 years. So for this we are forever grateful. The most ”Neurisis” sounding track we’ve done. I hate that term, but if sums up the sound of this version of ”post-metal”.
Peter’s creation from start to finish. And then everyone added some stuff here and there… Still one of my favorites to play and rehearse. The lyrics is about ”pandemics/plagues” and that we the humans are the greatest plague to ever grace the face of the earth.
