This weeks ONE TO WATCH series finds itself smothered beneath the blistering and often brutal wall of sound that’s been ruggedly moulded by Sweden’s post-metal and sludge undertakers KOLLAPS\E. Their latest single ERA is a titan of a track and is an indicator of what is to come on their upcoming EP, which has yet to be given a release date. So, for now, let ERA demolish and devour you.
Even though the track opens with the stirrings of a sci-fi drama, don’t allow the high-tech layers of sound fool you. Once those crushing guitars and brutal cries force themselves on you, the dynamic immediately shifts to a sinister and heinous point in time. The riffs are drawn from leaden strings while the bass guitar is played beneath the ground, such is the weight and depth of the chords. The slow to mid-tempo drums stamp and pound their authority from start to finish, creating a fluid and well-timed track, even while riding the peaks and troughs of their sound. One thing that really makes ERA stand out from its peers is that even amidst those heavy and weighty passages, there’s a rigid and well-balanced melody that re-enforces the track, making it a very memorable piece of music.
Be sure to check out their earlier releases, such as The Pandemic Sessions in order to hear more of KOLLAPS\E’s brilliant and often brutal post-metal style, and here’s hoping we don’t have to wait too long for their EP to surface.