“Colliding by Design" by Acceptance, Tuesday, April 11, 2023
One memorable scene in Dante's Inferno depicts two lovers tormented in the second layer of hell. The lovers in the second layer have been sent to hell for their lust, and as a punishment, they must blow in an unrelenting wind, possibly symbolizing their lust on earth and their lack of commitment to one partner. Two lovers, though, continuously blow past each other, touching for a second at a time before they blow in opposite directions. BREATHING IS SO HARD IT HURTS. No, the title track from Acceptance 's sophomore record, Colliding by Design , is not about eternal conscious torment, but there is something hellish about unrequited love. The production sounds show us what we could have expected to hear on the radio if the band had been afforded the opportunity to stay in the pop/rock culture in the late '00s and early '10s. The early 2017 release of Colliding by Design came like a spring breeze, bringing accessible pop melodies highlighting lead singer Jason Ven