Think of every major disaster movie you’ve ever seen, scenes of buildings crumbling to the ground, masses of land splitting in half and Hellfire spawning from the earth’s crust onto an unsuspecting civilian population. Now picture the musical equivalent of that and you have something approaching the sound of ‘Along the Dew’ by Grand Collapse.
Gaining momentum in the underground with their 2014 debut ‘Far From the Callous Crowd’, ‘Along the Dew’ sees the Cardiff quartet take the principles of their first record and ramps up the adrenaline factor to create a set of barnstorming metallic hardcore to soundtrack total destruction.
Wreck and ruin is so present in this record, even the razor-wire production makes it sound like it was recorded in a makeshift nuclear bunker, as it’s opening title track proves by wringing out layers of feedback before exploding into a scorching array of Southern metal grooves backed by frantic drumming with plenty of double kick.
This sets the tone for much of ‘Along the Dew’, as tracks like ‘Thrissel Street’ and ‘Deep Rooted’ pummel listeners with whirlwinds of splintering riffs and vocal performances from frontman Calvin Swell packed with grit and determination. But Grand Collapse aren’t so po-faced to not include smatterings of bounce on this record. ‘Turncoat’ ends with the band switching to half time and create a section that demands a jumping audience at shows, while ‘Omission’ opens with a raw slice of the Deep South that hasn’t sounded this hot since Maylene and the Sons of Disaster mastered the sound.
Even when they actually go for uplifting moments like closer ‘Trapped’ and the skate-punk rush of ‘Though Bloodshot and Blurry’, Grand Collapse put chaos at the forefront of ‘Along the Dew.’ Some may find this a bit much, even for its 30 minute running time, but you have to admire the energy and zeal at present. But if you do want to hear what the apocalypse sounds like, you need to hear this record.
4.5/5
‘Along the Dew’ by Grand Collapse is released on 19th May on TNSrecords.
Grand Collapse links: Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp
Words by Andy Davidson (@AndyrfDavidson)
