Denver progressive metalcore band Colony Collapse change their musical soundscape with their new gravid and euphonic single "The Love That Remains" via Theoria Records.
Passion and drive for what we love in life come at different times in our lives. Sometimes when we are very young, other times when we are old enough to realize what we are passionate about was there all along. For Colony Collapse, the passion for music started before they were old enough to drive. From then, the drive to pursue music turned into more than just writing songs together at band practice. They made the career decision to get serious about what they were doing in the music industry. Since then, Colony Collapse have not looked back and has shown their determination to set the metalcore genre ablaze with their modern, gravid, and euphonic approach.
“Mostly, I was fascinated by the lingering effect of love. That doesn’t only mean in the traditional sense of a relationship. It could be something as simple as waking up on a day where the weather reminds you of trick or treating, or how passing a place you used to live makes you feel in your stomach. That feeling of nostalgia, it's so powerful and rooted in our memories. It’s the ultimate reminder. With human connection, that emotion is at its most captivating.”
While their past few singles, "Paranoia Agent" and "Class Cult" have showcased progressively heavier sides to their instrumental makeup, Colony Collapse wanted to do something different this time around. Their new single, "The Love That Remains," takes a denuded, melodic turn while still encompassing the infectious, massive soundscapes we have grown to love in their past releases. A melancholic nostalgic tale of love in all its forms, Colony Collapse takes this concept and makes it a relatable emotion that can embody what it means to feel alive or create a void in its absence.
What created colony collapse?
Noah Khorey: I co-founded Colony Collapse with a friend named Jaxon Stunden. The two of us have been writing songs together since we were too young to drive to band practices. I think we both always knew we wanted to do music. I suppose we must’ve had a conversation back then outlining how serious we were about trying to make a career out of things, but I don’t remember it. The years that followed were set in motion without either of us needing to say the word go. We met in a friend’s basement - lit with Christmas lights and the glow of power strips, soundproofed with pink insulation stapled to the walls and decorated with a rainbow sofa we found on the street corner. And from there, never looked back.
What are your musical influences? How did they make their way into The Love that Remains?
Noah Khorey: I grew up on a lot of Linkin Park, Limb Bizkit, System of a Down, and all the nu-metal classics. Then my friend Marshall and I begged his older brother to tag along to a concert one state over in Cleveland. It was Protest the Hero. I’d never heard songs structured that way. Such organized chaos. I learned their album Fortress front to back and tapped the rhythms on any surface I could find. From there, I pretty much set out to write rhythmically centered music. I have drums in my background, so I felt at home with how metalcore focused on percussive elements in the guitar. With "The Love that Remains," I wanted to belt the chorus in a way that Chester Bennington might’ve on Hybrid Theory and back it up with the type of frantic verses I’d come to love in between those moments of melody.
What was the creative process like going into this track?
Noah Khorey: Initially, this song came out very naturally. The first existing demo of the track would be recognizable today - the main elements never changed much. But we sat on the song for a long time, recording it more than once, scrapping every version, and re-tracking instrumentals. The final result is a mash-up of sessions, timelines, and studios as we tried to recapture the excitement we felt when the song was brand new. It was also the first song we wrote for the EP. It always felt like a cornerstone; we were playing it live before the rest of the record was complete. Through all the changes, I know that the final rendition of the song is the truest to its form. I’m glad we waited as long as we did to let the process fully unravel.
Where does the meaning of the song stem from?
Noah Khorey: "The Love that Remains" isn’t about anyone specific. Every member can apply the meaning to their own lives and experiences, as can every listener. Mostly, I was fascinated by the lingering effect of love. That doesn’t only mean in the traditional sense of a relationship. It could be something as simple as waking up on a day where the weather reminds you of trick or treating, or how passing a place you used to live makes you feel in your stomach. That feeling of nostalgia, it's so powerful and rooted in our memories. It’s the ultimate reminder. With human connection, that emotion is at its most captivating. That’s the topic I wanted to explore in the track - what it means to miss someone, even a former version of yourself, or to miss something non-physical, like an abstract idea you struggle to put into words. These are the elements that make us experience time and change.
What have you taken from this track that was not in your previous releases "Class Cult" and "Paranoia Agent?"
Noah Khorey: "Paranoia Agent" and "Class Cult" were a blast because they were pretty much purely showcasing our heavier side. While "The Love that Remains" still has its heavy moments, the song is also us getting back to some of our melodic roots from our full length. I’m excited to do some singing.
What do you want listeners to take away from this new release?
Noah Khorey: I hope listeners take away equal parts head bobbing and emotion from this one. I love the piano so much, which was done by our friend Nico Sleator. It gives the song so much color.
What is next for you guys this year?
Noah Khorey: We have lots of plans to follow with this release. Definitely expect more new music on the way soon…