Collide - "Vortex" Review

Artist/ Band: Collide
Title: Vortex
Label: Noiseplus Muisc
Year of Release: 2004
Artist/ Band Link (click for details/ ordering)

The Review:

My first exposure to the band Collide is when a friend gave me Some Kind of Strange. I was, pardon the pun, strangely drawn to the music created by the duo of vocalist, kaRIN and instrumentalist Statik. They create a full sound with just themselves that borders so many styles within the gothic genre. One moment they’re almost trance like, the next a metallic assault machine. Just think of the combination of Evanescence and NIN, then you have a foundation of what Collide is all about. They go above and beyond their genre thus, in my mind, fall under the progressive moniker.

On their 5th album, a double album, Vortex, showcases remixes of the band’s music from their last two albums as well as three cover tunes. The band did a remix album after their debut caleld Distort. Just like Vortex, the songs on Disort were remixed by the band and guest musicians. The verdict is out on how I feel about bands or artists releasing remix albums but Collide has definitely gone beyond my expectations.

The cover tunes they chose to do are The Funboy Three’s “The Lunatics Are Taking Over the Asylum”, Love and Rockets’ “Haunted” and Adam and the Ants’ “Feed Me to the Lions”. I must admit that I haven’t heard the originals but Collide seems to tackle them as if they were their own compositions. If you’re familiar with Collide then you’ll want Vortex in your collection now. If you’re not, I would say this is a nice beginner’s guide to the band. I tell you, once they hook you, you’ll have to have all their works.

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on February 4th, 2006

Tracks:

CD1 VORTEX

1. Euphoria - Emirian Mix - Charlie Clouser

2. Feed Me to the Lions

3. Slither Thing - Amish Rake Fight Mix - Mike Fisher

4. Razor Sharp - Dull Mix - Wade Alin

5. Like you want to Believe - Antistatic Mix - Remko vander Spek

6. The Lunatics Have Taken over the Asylum

7. Predator - Final Mix - Collide

8. Crushed - 5AM Heavenly Mix - Dave Simpson

9. Wing of Steel - Core Mix - Nils Schulte

10. Halo - Sensory Gate Aura Mix - A. Pozzi/F. Corsini

11. Inside - Shoe Gazing Mix - Kevin Kipnis

12. Somewhere - Orchestral Mix - Mark Walk

13. Frozen - Chill Mix - Statik

CD2 XETROV

1. Haunted When the Minutes Drag

2. Tempted - Conjure One Mix - Rhys Fulber

3. Crushed - Fragment Mix - Vincent Saletto

4. Like you Want to Believe - Cylab Mix - Percy

5. Crushed - Out of Control Mix - Jesse Maddox

6. Wings of Steel - The Sound Of Glass Mix - Aaron McDonald

7. Inside - External Mix - Wade Alin

8. Crushed - Now Forgotten Mix - Ian Ross

9. Wings of Steel - hEADaCHE Mix - hEADaCHE

10. Like you Want to Believe - Bondango's Twisted Acid Mix - Marty Ball

11. Crushed - Scored Mix - Shane Terpening

12. Wings of Steel - Astro Sensorium Mix - Oleg Skrynnik

13. Euphoria - Tears Mix - J. Constantine and A. Ruggles