Apocalyptica – Worlds Collide

Release date: September 2007 Label: Sony BMG
By: Elvira Visser

  Before the album was released the band already leaked some information to the
  fans. While still being in the process of recording one of the guys already
  told their fans that the album would be a bit more dark. Maybe even the darkest
  they had ever written.

  Now my ears like to hear that, I am very fond of the dark songs on the previous
  albums and I was instantly thinking of songs such as “Toreador” from
  the Inquisition Symphony album. The guys proved in the last couple of years
  that they are very capable of leaving the path they had once chosen with covering
  songs by Metallica, since then they have been on a musical journey and with
  this album they surely did not go off track.

  Some weeks or even months before the release the management posted a little
  teaser for the fans on their website and myspace. There would be collaborations
  with multiple artists. First one was Corey Taylor (Stone Sour). This collaboration
  was clearly to get a hold on the American market, which is a goal of the band.
  I was quite anxious about this because there have been bands before them, with
  the same dream, with an own sound trying to set foot on the American market.
  Which in the end were changing their music, losing their own sound. Apocalyptica
  clearly has that own sound, beautiful arranged cello melodies woven into the
  harsh raging sound of the cello strings.

  Not much later it was announced that there would be up to five collaborations.
  Fuck! That was my very first thought. I mean I love their old collaborations
  such like: “Seemann” (Nina Hagen), “Path” (Sandra Nasic)
  and more recent “Bittersweet” and “Life burns”. Though they
  made me really curious after announcing with whom they would work with. Till
  Lindemann (Rammstein), Corey Taylor and Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil) are quite
  some names.

  First released was the single: “I’m Not Jesus” with Corey Taylor and
  opinions were varied. Personally I really like the track, Corey’s sound fits
  great with the cellos, but it sounds more as a Stone Sour song with Apocalyptica
  instead of the other way around. Are they loosing the original cello sound?

  This question was answered pretty fast when I got a copy of the new album “Worlds
  Collide”.
  I am simply amazed. Let me explain this to you with some of the songs.

  The first song is the title song of the album “Worlds Collide” and
  starts very thin, very beautifully, very core cello but before you start to
  think you put on a classical record, the drums kick in at full speed and delivers
  deliver a thrashy sound. Then a slower part comes back and fades again, really
  colliding parts of music into one great peace. One part reminds me a bit of
  “Betrayal” from their “Apocalytpica” album. There is this
  change this break but then it is building around it towards that thrashy sound
  again.

  Of the song Grace I have to mention a little part because first of all you
  clearly can hear a guitar in this song. There is little bridge with the guitar
  playing simple notes, the cello presents on the background like a buzzing sound,
  persistently and the drums build up the tension. Though they used a guitar in
  this song it is a fine piece of work, the guitar tends to sound cello-like at
  some places and the other way around.

  “Last Hope” must be my favourite on this album. What they do with
  the cello’s in here is amazing. They sound more raging than ever accompanied
  with Dave Lombardo’s drumming skills. The tempo is changing throughout the song,
  from fast to unbelievable fast back and forth. I think if you have an old CD
  player it might crash, this is pure energy, pure tilt, pure structured chaos
  of drumming madness.

  For the best collaboration I would go for “I Don’t Care”. Adam Gontier
  (Three Days Grace) starts slowly and maybe again a bit classical and that is
  exactly what I needed. This collaboration I like the most, maybe because the
  cellos are still dominantly present. It starts a bit slower but bursts out in
  a powerful ballad with a very catchy not too difficult chorus. It is a vocal
  sound but still the cello sound is most prominent.

  Because I have the special edition I have two bonus songs and I am very pleased
  with that.
  Mainly because we have had songs from all the band members but never did one
  of Paavo’s works reach the CD’s. But now we can hear some of his works from
  him. “Dreamer” is totally different from the rest of the album and
  therefore probably a bonus song although for me this is the perfect ending.
  This is pure cello, no drums. Classical, dark and melancholic but easy to listen
  to. Really dreamlike. It will relax you after the other songs have pumped up
  your energy levels with those thrashy and pounding tempo’s, yet the only sad
  thing is that it ends unexpectedly.

  Although I had a lot of negative thoughts before I heard the album, they really
  managed to convince me yet again that they are a marvellous set of musicians.
  It is really up to you to judge for yourself, and you should, because they delivered
  a fine piece of work.

1 Worlds Collide   2 Grace   3 I’m Not Jesus   4 Ion   5 Helden   6 Stroke   7 Last Hope   8 I Don’t Care   9 Burn   10 S.O.S (Anything But Love)   11 Peace  Bonus:   12 Ural   13 Dreamer