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Collapse Under The Empre

The Silent Cry EP

Written by: DR on 04/06/2013 17:02:23

With four LPs - a fifth, "Sacrifice & Isolation", is expected later this year - and five EPs/splits to their name, Collapse Under The Empire have proven themselves as one of the most fertile grounds in the post-rock/instrumental genre since their inception in 2008. Impressively though, despite such productivity, CUTE have been able to grow as artists while also maintaining a high level of quality.

For one of the most consistent bands in post-rock music, then, the most surprising thing about the six track EP "The Silent Cry" is its inconsistency - at least by CUTE's standards. We know what to expect, to a certain extent: sweeping post-rock with seamlessly fused electronic elements, ultimately creating a cinematic and soundtrack-esque feel to it. But here, certain tracks feel like they were picked up from the cutting room floor of their previous releases, while others show a side to the band previously unheard and the progression we've come to expect.

The opener, "We Are As Close To This", is an undeniably solid post-rock offering full of spacious guitars, rhythmic drumming and an impressively textured crescendo. The title-track retains their long-established electronic influences and cinematic qualities, endowing the song with an anthemic and warm 'soundtrack' feel. And if you didn't know "Stjarna" is a cover of Depeche Mode, you would swear it's a CUTE original given the typically sweeping rise/fall structure of it. However, these aren't anything we haven't heard before and heard them do better. Tracks "Infernal" and "Ashfall" show a side to CUTE we've never heard before, though - the EP is worth listening to for these tracks alone. The former is a lot darker, even industrial sounding, as it rages towards a thunderous post-metal-esque crescendo, while the ominous rhythm section and chilling violins of the latter make it one of the most intense songs CUTE has penned.

In the end, it's hard to not feel a little ungrateful. Collapse Under The Empire have given us so much new music in such a short space of time, so it was inevitable the quality was going to drop eventually, however slightly. But though this is a mere 'good' release rather than another 'great' one, it still does its job as an EP: it offers signs of where they might head in the future, while giving fans enough new material to tide us over as we impatiently wait for "Sacrifice & Isolation". For that, there cannot be too many complaints.

Download: Infernal, Ashfall
For The Fans of: God Is An Astronaut, The American Dollar, Mogwai
Listen: Facebook

Release Date 19.04.2013
Finaltune Records