When I reviewed the last Sumac record I spent a moment of time trying to understand what it was I liked about them. In amongst the maze of improvisation was a beast wreaking havoc and those were the times I felt most connected to the band. Harnessing those moments of angular aggression Danish three piece Kollapse has once more unleashed that havoc on its third release AR. Building without excess has left 7 tracks of sludgy noise with fleeting moments of post-metal, AR is equal parts heavy, punishing, awkward and beautiful.
The band has stated its intention in recording AR was to make it feel as if they were playing and screaming two inches from the listeners face, they have more than accomplished this. First single ‘Autofagia’ is a great summation with its distorted, heavy cutting riffs along with the devastatingly harsh vocal screams. Kollapse is by no means a one trick pony, and although it is no longer on Bandcamp, slithers of the more post-metal influence of the band’s debut still shine through amongst the noise and sludge on many of the songs here. ‘Form’ has one of those brilliant heavy crescendos where light warms the gloom of the heavy distortion.
Whilst the songs are far shorter than the new average for Sumac there are still some moments of experimentation. ‘Dekomposition’ sees the drums filling around guitar feedback and noise before snapping back into a heavy riff. Pace is also used to great effect with ‘Form’ and ‘Transformation’ bringing the speed of the album down which actually increases the unrelenting oppressive atmosphere. There are hints of the devastation Black Sheep Wall can dish out with a mix of the utter weight of the music with even just the three members. There are also points when the band strides together into a riff that reminds me of the impact Row of Ashes can deliver, where the vocals are ferocious and there are angles in all the riffs, ‘Kokon’ and ‘Autofagia’ are great examples of this.
From its debut and Sult, Kollapse has really solidified its sound in a basis of a daunting heaviness which feels aggressive yet offers moments of warmth. It is a brilliant combination and AR is sure to impress all those who are exposed to it.
