ALBUM REVIEW: Kollapse - "Angst"

By: Jay Hampshire

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 19/05/2017

Label: Wooaaargh

 

“Angst” see’s Kollapse unafraid to mix their influences, and their musicianship and talent sees them more than capable of pulling this off.

“Angst” CS//DD//LP listing

1). Void (04:36)

2. Death Of A Monotheist (02:06)

3. Gueules Cassées (06:42)

4. Till Holle (05:11)

5. Blinding Light (03:19)

6. Nesting (06:17

7. Abandon (06:02)

The Review:

Denmark’s Kollapse confound and impress in equal measure with their latest full length, “Angst”. A shifting gauntlet of bared influence and canny execution, it’s a strange blend of the eerily familiar and being kept on your toes. “Void” kicks things off with a scything tremolo drive worthy of black metal, descending into frantic blastbeats before meshing back together into a cleaner, more meditative section, swinging again into slowly stuttering chords and shimmering cymbals. “Death Of A Monotheist” is a short, sharp blast of uptempo hardcore stomp, burning itself out fast.

“Gueules Cassées” is a multi-layered rager, frustrated screams echoing late-era Breach in tone, steadily descending riffs boring down amid constantly changeable drums. Softer guitars jangle over smooth bass, a slower flow, evocative and moody, before atonal guitars needle in, living up to the album’s title. “Til Holle” bristles with predatory grooves and droning guitar lines, arguably the least fully fleshed out offering here. “Blinding Light” sees choked guitars and restrained drums contrasted with throaty, bellowed vocals, the crashing waves of post-metal chords and processional pace sounding like the end of a song rather than the start.

“Nesting” sweeps in with tremolo before turning the corner into a driving, righteous post-punk groove, blooming into layers of lighter, sorrowful guitar, piling up into an Isis-ian crescendo. Closer “Abandon” scratches and scrapes with a manic drive before bursting into a rushing melee of pacey punk ire, slowing into lumbering chords and layered screams. There’s lots of space, but rarely any silence or negative air.

“Angst” see’s Kollapse unafraid to mix their influences, and their musicianship and talent sees them more than capable of pulling this off. Perhaps the biggest flaw with their sound is their need to err ever on the side of drama. Each song here has a section (and many have a backbone solely comprised of one) that pushes upwards and outwards, hinged on the wide scope and crescendo of post rock. While it’s undeniably enjoyable to behold, it seems to suck the power out of these uplifting, soaring moments. While probably more affecting live, it leaves you wondering about a loss of impact. If everything’s a crescendo, surely nothing is?

“Angst” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook