Collapse Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

We've just released our début album 'Arms and the Covenant' via Transcend Music, and a video for the track Acolyte from the album.


2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

The album is more varied than the previous ep, we tried to capture some new moods and make the whole thing darker. It's certainly a more mature release, there's more for the listener to get their teeth into.


3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?

A lot of the inspiration came from topics to do with morality, mortality and the human experience. Things like laying down your life for the good of a country and what that really means when all is said and done, abuse of power, whether god can be defined as a measure of yourself.  Probably quite inward reflecting I've realised, after writing that.


4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

No big meaning, we wanted something short and to the point that would make an impact. Choosing a name is probably the hardest thing that you have to do when you start a band.


5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Top of the pile would have to be Donington obviously, that was an amazing show. The Anthrax European shows were absolutely killer, it was amazing to see how on fire they are every single night, definitely a case of learning from the masters. I think all of our experiences in Europe so far have been extremely positive, it's such an awesome place to tour. Our stage performance is pretty intense, there's not much let up in what we do live


6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?

We're playing Hard Rock Hell, Ibiza on 18th May,  Bloodstock Club Serpent in June, headlining the 'Headbangers Balls' show at the Camden Underworld in June, for The Teenage Cancer Trust and then headlining the Rock & Metal Circus Festival in September.


7. The new album came out on Transcend Music, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support they have given you so far?

The Connection with Transcend came via our management. Rob, the label owner has been extremely supportive of the band and has shown great support for the album.


8. On the new album there is a cover of a Carcass, what was the decision behind doing this cover?

We wanted to pay tribute to a truly legendary band, Heartwork was such a game changer of an album, it just had to be done. We're extremely proud of being British and carcass ethos really rings true with us, following the music you believe in, trying to push the envelope musically and probably not taking ourselves too seriously either.


9. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of extreme metal?

The reaction for the album has been absolutely phenomenal, you always get nervous putting out a new release. I think as an artist the worst thing that can happen is nothing, even a negative reaction would be better than that. But, thankfully, so far the reaction from fans and the press has been absolutely killer.


10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

That's impossible to say. Music comes from such a hard place to define, you have to let it grow to it's potential and not channel it too much. Where I'd like to see it go is incorporating more melody, more groove, more sophistication, but only time will tell.


11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I think it's really just the sum total of everything that I've been into over the years, from thrash to death to doom. At the time we were writing, maybe Aborted, Neurosis, The Haunted, Chimaira, Cannibal Corpse .


12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Me and a few of the guys are into the gym and I do a fair bit of cycling. I don't really do much outside of the band, I record all the music, edit the videos, do the artwork design/merch, work with the management and tour manage all the live shows, so it keeps me pretty busy.

Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

I think we just want to say thanks for everyone that's taken the time to check the album out and thanks for the great questions.

All Dogmas We Hate/Astronomical Distances/M & O Music/2013 EP Review

  All  Dogmas  We  Hate  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  metalcore  with  death  metal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  ep  "Astronical  Distances"  which  was  released  by  M  &  O  Music.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  fast  playing  or  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  metalcore  riffs  that  utilize  some  death  metal  influences  and  melody  in  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  are  very  melodic  sounding  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  hardcore  style  screams  and  deep  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark,  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  All  Dogmas  We  Hate  are  a  very  great  sounding  metalcore  band  with  a  death  metal  edge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Devastated"  and  "The  Sleeper".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

We Were Viper Pilots/Progeny/2013 EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  We  Were  Viper  Pilots  which  continues  their  instrumental  hybrid  of  progressive  death  metal,  djent  and  ambient  rock  with  the  self  released  ep  being  called  "Progeny"  and  released  in  2013.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars,  as  for t he  synths  when  they  are  utilized  they  bring  a  dark,  atmospheric  and  ambient  sound  to  the  recording.


  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  progressive  death  metal  with  djent  and  ambient  rock  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while t he  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  progressive  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for t he  acoustic  guitars  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  enhance  the  progressive  and  ambient  elements  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  and  songwriting  are  all  absent  form  this  recording  with t he  music  being  all  instrumental,  while  the  song  themes  cover  darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  We  Were  Viper  Pilots  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  death  metal,  djent  and  ambient  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Miasma".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

We Were Viper Pilots/Colorless/2013 CD Review

  We  Were  Vipers  are  a  band  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  very  instrumental  and  progressive  form  of  death metal  with  elements  of  djent  and  ambient  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album  "Colorless".

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  thrown  into t he  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  progressive  death  metal  with  djent  and  ambient  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  goof  amount  of  melody  being  the  riffing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  progressive  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  enhance  the  progressive  and  ambient  elements  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  absent  from  this  recording  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental,  while  the  song  themes  cover  darkness  and  philosophical  topics,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  album.

  In  my  opinion  We  Were  Vipers  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  hybrid  of  progressive  death  metal,  djent  and  ambient  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tuned  To A  Dead  Channel"  "The  Aching  Taste  Of  Blue"  "His  Eyes  Where  Eggs  Of  Unstable  Crystal"  and  "The  Prison  Of  His  Own  Flesh".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Bloodattack/Alphakiller/Bastardized Recordings/2013 CD Review

  Bloodattack are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  hardcore,  thrash  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Alphakiller"  which  was  released  by  Bastardized  Recordings.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  hardcore  with  death  metal  and  thrash  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  some  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing at  times  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  plsying,  while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  are  very  melodic  sounding  guitar  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  hardcore  style  vocals  to  deep  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples,  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  both  German  and  English  and  cover  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Bloodattack  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  hardcore,  thrash,  and  death  metal and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "My  Inner  Wasteland"  "Not  Like  You"Fall  As  One"  and  "Urin".  RECOMMENDED  BUY. 

Besieged/Victims Beyond All Help/Unspeakable Axe Records/2013 CD Re-Issue Review

  Besieged  are  a  band  from  Manitoba,  Canada  that  plays  a  very  heavy  and  old  school  form  of  death/thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2010  album  "Victims  Beyond  All  Help"  which  was  re-issued  by  Unspeakable  Axe  Records  in  2013.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing t hat  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  and  heavy  riffs  that  combine  old  school  death metal  and  thrash  together  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  mid  80's  to  early  90's  sounding  death/thrash  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals a re  all  deep  death/thrash  metal  growls,  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  violent  themes, as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  which  goes  back  to  the  mid  80's  sound.

  In  my  opinion  Besieged  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy  and  old  school  death/thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should c heck  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Death" "Victims  Beyond  All  Help"  and  "Black".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Cadaveric Fumes/Macabre Exaltation/Blood Harvest Records/2013 12" MLP Review

  Cadeveric  Fumes  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  heavy  and  old  school  form  of  death metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  12"  Mlp  "Macabre  Exaltation"  which  was  released  by  Blood  Harvest  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars,  as  for  the  synths  which  are  only  used  briefly  they  bring  a  very  dark,  atmospheric  and  occult  sound  to  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  death  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  old  school  and  heavy  sounding  along  with  some  morbid  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing at  times,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  dark  sounding  old  school  death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  deep  death  metal  growls  to  high  pitched  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  powerful,  and  old  school  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Cadaveric  Fumes  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy  and  dark  old  school  death  metal b and  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vault  Of  The  Haunted  Mist"  and  "Knowledge  Of  The  Ancient  Ones".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.