COLLAPSE UNDER THE EMPIRE

Well once again i'm following Memowakeman's lead when it comes to Post-Rock and this is another album that doesn't disappoint. COLLAPSE UNDER THE EMPIRE are from Germany and they are a duo. A couple of things that stood out for me are the abundance of keyboards which sound great and also the shorter tracks on this 49 minute album.This is a powerful affair but as with most Post-Rock we get plenty of atmosphere in these falling and rising soundscapes.

"Captured Moments" builds quickly then kicks in after 1 1/2 minutes. It settles back then builds again. I like the guitar and drums after 2 1/2 minutes then it kicks in again. A gorgeous sound before 3 1/2 minutes. "Crawling" opens with some raw sounding guitar that echoes then keys,a beat and atmosphere take over. It's building before 2 minutes.Here we go ! Love the guitar 3 1/2 minutes in. "Find A Place To Be Safe" has a melancholic and emotional start. It's building then it's kicking ass before it settles 4 minutes in. It starts to build again. Nice.

"Tranquility" builds to a nice heavy groove. Love the drumming and atmophere after 2 minutes as it settles. It kicks back in once more. "Angle Of Incidence" is a cool sounding track that starts to pick up 1 1/2 minutes in.It settles back 4 minutes in to end it. "Decay" has such a rich sound to it. The guitar after 2 1/2 minutes is incredible. It settles some with keys standing out then it kicks back in after 5 minutes. "Far To The Past" builds right from the start and I really like when the drums come in. It settles back 2 minutes in but not for long.

"A Smell Of Boiled Greens" is a short almost electronic sounding piece. "Intelligence" kicks in around a minute then settles back to the earlier keys and drums soundscape again as contrasts continue. "Conscious Of Theory" settles into a heavy beat driven number fairly quickly. I like the synths that play over top before 2 minutes to the end. "Take A Shot On Me" is experimental sounding until the keys arrive a minute in. Drums follow as it builds.

This was a pleasure to listen to and if your into Post-Rock it's worth checking out.

Two good songs, and that's it!

After writing the review of the full-length album named 'Find a Place to be Safe', I don't really have anything more to add. This is a single taken from that 2009 Collapse under the Empire album', which features only a couple of songs. These are the tracks one and two from the album, the slight difference is that here the order is the other way around.

'Crawling' is the name of this single, and of course, of the first song, which happens to be my favorite from that album, so that is a good thing, they chose an excellent song to promote their music. The other track is 'Captured Moments' whose sound perfectly describes the band's sound, so this is a good single album that will introduce you to this German act.

Well, but it is a single, a good one without a doubt, but only eight minutes of great post rock. So as you may know, I don't use to rate these albums with more than two stars.

Enjoy it!

And Europe is not behind, regarding post rock!

Lately my love for post rock has increased (I have always liked) due to the discovery of newer bands that have really caught my attention. It is great to see this movement has reached popularity from all around the globe, including of course, Europe. And more specific, Germany has raised the hand and said they are on the same line, the same direction, and have nothing to ask to those post rock giants, such as Canada or USA.

Thanks to a friend, I was introduced to "Collapse under the Empire" which is a German duo with Matthew Jason playing guitars and drums, and Chris Burda on keyboards and also drums. They formed the band in 2007 and have released excellent post-rock albums, such as this, that I am reviewing. Entitled "Find a Place to be Safe", this 2009 release offers eleven compositions and a total time of 49 minutes that I am sure, you will enjoy.

It opens with "Captured Moments" which is a fascinating introduction to the band's sound. I like how it starts slowly and then little by little progresses until it reaches a climax. The atmosphere created is excellent, and better if we realize it was made by only two talented men. If you don't know they are a duo, you may think it is performed by at least four members. "Crawling" is one of my preferred tracks on this album. The piano work, together with drums and guitars is fabulous, and also how the song makes a crescendo until it explodes and sounds louder, and this time, better.

The title track, "Find a Place to be Safe" is the longest composition. The atmosphere is different from the previous tracks, there is a feeling of desolation and solitude. Later it brings several inner changes of both, mood and sound, which makes a richer track full of colours and textures. The last two minutes are full of energy and will make you move your body until it all of a sudden fades out into a gentle ambient sound.

"Tranquility" does not really reflect the title on the music, however it is a brilliant track. The four minutes are consistent and complex, not that heavy but it will appeal to any fan of the heavy side of post rock (or post metal, if you wish). "Angel of Incidence" follows the same path, there are moments of softness where the structure is being built up, and moments of power and emotion where drums, guitars and keyboards reach a moment of perfection, and the listener can feel pleased. So can the band.

"Decay" is another good track, the thing here is that the repetition of the formula may cause you weariness (hope not to be so rude with that adjective), but I felt that way, a bit tired of that repetition. As a single track, I repeat, it is very good actually. "Far to the Past" is shorter and starts different, with some kind of xylophone sound which is later joined by drums and keyboards making a repetitive sound. Before reaching the first minute, guitars appear and change the rhythm and style for some seconds, but later it returns as it began, and so on.

"A Smell of Boiled Greens" is the shortest track. Electronic oriented, sounds like the interlude of a film or TV show. Not really necessary, in my opinion. "Intelligence" has a cool sound all over the track, the orchestra-like keyboard sound makes it pretty interesting, it gives a more emotional feeling to the music. The electronic noises and raw guitars were perfectly placed in this piece, and I really like its changes, it is balanced. A clear example of the quality of this band.

"Conscious of thirty-nine" starts softly but a minute later it changes, with the addition of the electronic element making a peculiar sound. A thing I enjoy a lot is that they manage to make several "mini changes" within every single track, like dividing the song in a hundred pieces and gather them little by little, without harming the structure, nor the listener's attention. And last but not least, "Take a Shot on me" closes this album. After an odd first minute, the song shows its essence and shares that Collapse under the Empire sound.

This is an excellent record, I like it a lot, the only problem I found is that in moments it I felt tired of the same sound, however, it is a strong post rock album which I recommend to anyone who like this genre. My final grade will be four stars.

Enjoy it!

COLLAPSE UNDER THE EMPIRE The Sirens Sound is a june 2010 "EP" release (approx. 34 minutes) from Hamburg, Germany duo Martin Grimm and Chris Burda. CUTE's contribution to the Math/Post Rock genre is significant, IMHO, because of the integral and, in this genre, unusual role of keyboards/synths and because both banc members are drummers/percussionists. Their songs are also quite amazing for their very engaging melodic and harmonic constructs. This EP is, again IMHO, their by far their best effort to date--and one of the most enjoyable and pleasurable Math/Post Rock albums I've ever heard. 1. At just under ten minutes, "The Sirens Sound" begins the album with an electronic loop, quickly joined by a heavily treated piano (de-trebled) riff which soon yields to a slow moving synth. The treated piano riff and synth wash alternate with each other until the 3:00 minute mark when drums and guitars slow it down, heavy it out, and take over. The synth buzz eventually rejoins with new guitar arpeggios playing over the top of the rest of the music until the drums and heavy guitar chords suddenly drop out at the 4:30, only to rejoin at the 5:00 mark to build the song into one amazing wall of chaotic, mentally-disturbing sound. Awesome! Then they staccato stop and start the music several times before rejoining in the cacophony of beautiful sound. At 7:30 another hiccup reprieve before the whilrling synth drone climbs to the top and makes you question your sanity. The last minute is a gradual dismantlement of the layers to fade. What a trip! 10/10

2. "Grade Seperation" (sic) begins with organ and bouncy, pop sounding synths and drums before the guitars come crashing in at the 1:00 mark. Some rather SIGUR RÓS sounding interludes make up the quiet breaks between waves of thrashing guitars and cymbols. A bit too repetitive and predictable. 6/10

3. "Violet Skies" follows some pretty standard-sounding rock guitar power chord progressions--almost punk-like at times--mete out a more familiar sound. Unfortunately, this familiarity is also the weakness of the song. 5/10

4. "Beware/lost--Awesome uptempo song with very catchy layered synth melody lines and single string guitar strumming and cymbols leading the way. Vibrating/vibrato bass notes are also very engaging. 9/10

5. "A Different Complexion," the longest song on the album, begins with cowbell and meaty bass before piano, sustained electric guitar notes, treated snare and other percussion noises join and carry the melody and intricate harmonic weave. Except for the cymbol work, it has a definite King Crimson feel to it, and is very hypnotic and pleasant. 9/10

A band definitely worth checking out. All their back catalog--which only begins last year--is outstanding, including Systembreakdown (2009) and Find a Place to Be Safe (Jan 2010). The Sirens Sound is their best. A very emotional and engaging album. Were it longer and not without two weak songs I would rate this with five stars. 4(+) stars.