Colaris – Nexus – Album Review by Killian Laher

Colaris are a German, heavyweight instrumental band who have released one previous album and a number of EPs. Their new album Nexus opens with Evoke, which builds up in the manner of Metallica’s Enter Sandman but avoids full on stomp, preferring instead to patiently ebb and flow with guitars chiming away metronomically. Maelstrom barrels along , not a million miles off the work of God Is An Astronaut or even early And So I Watch You From Afar. The thrilling Lemuria and Shoals pack considerable wallop harking back to Mogwai in their early days.

The ponderous Im Sog and Cluster have downcast guitars that wail and wallow in a similar way to The Cure, but a lot heavier which works very well Penultimate track Burst does exactly that, all over your speakers. It’s the most propulsive thing here, slightly out of keeping with the almost ‘serene-metal’ of the rest, more like ‘actual’ metal.

It’s a high quality exponent of what’s still known as ‘post-rock’ in some quarters. It’s available from bandcamp here.

Tracklist:

1. Evoke (Nexus pt. 1)
2. Maelstrom
3. Lemuria
4. Shoals
5. Im Sog
6. Cluster
7. Burst
8. Harvest (Nexus pt. 2)