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Collapse Under The Empire - Shoulders & Giants

posted by: maurice on 2 September 2011

Sister Jack

After the split-EP with Mooncake, I was curious to hear if German outfit Collapse Under The Empire could live up to my expectations on a complete album. With 'Shoulders & Giants', part one of a two-album concept about human existence, the dream of advancement, a life of absolute freedom, isolation and death, they succeed in this one-hour long ride.

The concept might be pretentious but terms such as advancement, freedom and hope are floating through my brain when listening to the songs. The biography tells us this album is also sober or downcast; I don’t agree because it generates a lot of positive energy.

The instrumental German band combines the enervating flow of God is an Astronaut, the melodies of If These Trees Could Talk with a small part of 65daysofstatic’s electronic flavor. The listener receives ten fresh songs from a band that has an eye for details (for example the keyboard melody in “The Sky is the Limit”) and knows how to fascinate throughout the overall journey. In the first song "Shoulders" or "The Last Reminder" their approach reminds me of Dutch band Atlantis that shares the same influences.

This type of postrock has been done a lot of times over the last years and that’s a small minor. I can’t complain now since Collapse under the Empire plays with conviction. When I hear the song “After the Thaw”, feel the up-tempo drumbeats and the glorious melodies, my heart is beating faster from the adrenaline that Collapse under the Empire gives me. That means the duo creates outstanding songs; even if the same recipe is been used in several other enervating post-rock songs. I can’t wait which emotions will come around during the second part of the concept-release.

Rating:

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Related bandprofile: Collapse Under The Empire