(c) Collapse Under The Empire
The duo has been creating for 15 years now Collapse Under The Empire magical, purely instrumental worlds. What once began in fairly classic post-rock areas has now become broadly based, taking cinematic elements and subtle electronics on the (sound) journey. It’s not for nothing that their songs can be found in film and documentary trailers, among other things. Replenishment is now taking place in the form of „Recurring“on which Chris Burda and Martin Grimm skilfully confirmed the strong form they have recently found.
The almost technoid start of the opener “Genesis” suggests a dance floor filler, but this doesn’t happen. Instead, it grows into a lively, hopeful, but also thoughtful number that brings together post rock, ambient and soundtrack concepts in a powerful way. “Revelation” then takes up buttery-soft motifs and weaves them together in a particularly concentrated manner. The beginning of massive guitars carry us towards new shores, and two small highlights in the best genre tradition are reminiscent of the early work of Collapse Under The Empire. The rather central role of the keyboard should not be ignored.
At the other end of the album, “Apocalypse” sounds surprisingly friendly at times. Is there anything hopeful that can be wrested from the downfall? Nervous energy and massive pressure waves move away from this, great instrumental rock art finally takes over and cleverly plays with changing moods – one of the best songs on this record. “Absolution” is also strong, bringing synthetics and guitars together nicely. The incredibly lively, powerful drums, on the other hand, dictate the action, almost silently and secretly. Powerful, almost metallic inserts collide with ease. Collapse Under The Empire masters this rollercoaster of emotions incredibly well.
There are no surprises, but Collapse Under The Empire are now (again) consolidating at a familiar high level. Burda and Grimm have not only found their sound, their very own post-rock approach, they are now cultivating it to a great extent. “Recurring” actually has gripping soundtrack qualities, almost floats and knows how to play with moods and dramaturgy. Spectacular arcs of suspense, quiet moments and great excitement accompany the duo’s next strong work.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: September 29, 2023
Available via: Finaltune Records (Broken Silence)
Website: www.collapseundertheempire.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/collapseundertheempire
Category: Magazin, Reviews