Fifteen years ago, Collide released These Eyes Before, which in retrospect was a covers album that was very much concentrating on their early, formative influences. So for them to return to the subject of covers again makes a lot of sense, as this time around they are concentrating on (mostly!) more contemporary artists, and for me, this fascinating mix of songs is a much more interesting selection than last time around. We go from Portishead to Fiona Apple, Sam Smith & Kim Petras to Peter Gabriel, among others, and while Collide make each of the songs recognisably theirs, it still feels a gutsy call to try and take on a Björk song (there are reasons why there are so few covers of her work). But remarkably, Karin and Statik do an impressive job with Human Behaviour, wisely not pushing the vocals too far, and it certainly makes it clear that, unexpectedly, Björk is a key influence. These are relatively sensitive covers, all told, the band making careful changes to ensure that their covers work, rather than just stamping all over them. Other bands doing covers albums, take note…
Santa Sangre
Almost thirty years of listening to this outfit has somehow happened. Their nexus is now unwinding before my very ears, it isn’t surprising that their name is Collide. You may call these songs being covers but to me they’re just an extension towards an eclectic mix; these styles and genres are a melting pot which have delivered eleven tracks. I’m now exposed to a sweeping affair which is indeed a chromed out arsenal.
These cooled mixtures shift between her voice and his musical process which continually evolves rather than staying in those ruts, you know the ones; no names required. Each task within ‘The Darkness Forever’ has been completed by vectors -these two- who have yet again managed to present another facet they’ve invoked.
Channeled layers which appear on these tracks wickedly end slipping back into an invisible reality; those enchanted themes just do not end from Statik and kaRIN, they’re connection only grows stronger never given up something I wish others would hold onto as well: imagination. Staying on such a path is not an easy option, thank you so much for refusing to give up!
I do enjoy drinking down their vision of Nitro cans as it tastes subtlety sweet but there are even more intense versions for one’s own palette to indulge throughout.
There is an instrumental take for these covers(?) having been sent silently; I’m now downing shots of espresso. Nothing but the hooks remain and even though they’re supposed to entice you they do not… those bites within happily obscure that focal point which pop stars cannot get enough of.
The Secret Meeting’s release has also been extended in a similar way which is a very impressive feat to undertake. Beyond this astonishing and stunning record you can dig in even further down going right to their beginnings. As for Statik, if you truly want to uncloak his origins there’s some of it on their site; there are many more outside of that internet as well…
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Collide – The Darkness Forever
Noiseplus Music, NOISE-38 & 39
CD/Digital 2024
Buzzslayers
A fantastic return from Collide comes in the form of a cover album with an outstanding selection of songs that makes this record such an intriguing and seemingly difficult endeavor because you have everything on this release from classic rock, to grunge, industrial, 90s alt pop, and tons more so the record is so incredibly eclectic in terms of the song choices but these guys pull through with such a brilliant approach being able to add their spin to the songs but without losing traction or the ode to those bands that this was meant for.
The Darkness Forever album starts off with "Wandering Star" originally from Portishead, but they really do add an even edgier tonality to it and that classic vastness that the band is known for. Again, these songs all stay true to the original, but all have this slightly haunting tonality to them that they're able to bring to the table.
Of course artists like Portishead already have a little bit of an edgy sort of haunt but Collide brings a little bit of a different side to that.
This is followed up by none other than "Heart-Shaped Box" originally from Nirvana and they bring that 90s alternative pop tonality into that Grunge approach and it works like a charm.
This one also comes through with the robust spaciousness in its underbelly and I think it works amazingly for this track in particular.
A few of my other absolute hands-down favorites from this record include Bjork's "Human Behavior" single. This is done with such a unique approach but one of the things that really hit me about it was the vocalist's way of giving things her own spin and staying true to herself as a vocalist but also sort of transforming into the character that the song embodies in the first place.
As you go through this record you have covers from artists like Fiona Apple, Peter Gabriel, Velvet Underground, Muse, and a few that were a little bit less known if you weren't into the whole underground alt rock scene of the late 90s and early 2000s.
This record is astounding in terms of how they're able to have everything feel so confluent like it was all written for one record but yet the songs are from different decades, different genres, and I don't think you could find a more diverse array of songs that somehow line up so perfectly.
This is obviously a love letter to every single one of these bands because these are also bands and artists that I grew up loving and listening to on a non-stop basis so I'm someone that can definitely tell you that they did an amazing job of really showing their love in the form of covering these songs uniquely and with a slightly outside the box approach.
One of the things I love about this record is the sheer fact that they went full on with it. They didn't do a short EP with five cover songs, they did a full length 11 track record that covers so much ground it's insane.
It takes a lot of planning and processing to be able to even choose the right songs let alone pull them off the way that they did.
Their original music also incorporates a little bit of industrial, a little bit of vintage pop, and to make alternative rock, and massively driving sonic soundscapes so to hear this cover record almost makes perfect sense to me having followed this band for a while.
And guitar work is all amazing throughout the course of this record and seem to compliment each other on a normal basis and there are some unexpected parts that come through with a great intensity and character and again, they're sort of embodying these songs.
I think that's what really makes it so special. These aren't just cover songs done all whimsy flimsy on the fly. These are songs with a lot of time and heart put into them with loads of attention to detail and a real passion for the craft of songwriting, recording, and building soundscape.
This was an incredibly well constructed record, and I take my hat off to the band for being able to really not only show what they're capable of in terms of creating these atmospheres that you get sucked into and engulfed in, but also showing their love for the songs that inspired them.
This is a record you absolutely have to listen to all the way through. Don't just listen to one or two songs because you love Portishead or you love The Velvet Underground.
Trust me when I tell you you know all of these songs especially if you're a normal human being that's not under 20 years old, and you want to hear all the different takes that they have on these songs.
I can hear tons of these and scenes of films and shows.
Check this out as soon as you get a chance and remember where you heard it first.