- Release Info -------------------------------------------------------------- -
Artist: Caverns
Album: Kittens!
Label:
Playtime: 24:26 min
Genre: Instrumental
URL:
Rip date: 2009-02-12
Street date: 2008-12-29
Size: 40.02 MB
Type: Normal
Quality: 215 kbps / 4410kHz / Joint Stereo
- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------- -
"My first impression of Caverns was a very positive one, and theyÆve never
dropped the ball live since. Caverns boldly produce instrumental hard rock
music, with the only vocals for miles being a lone adrenalized shout.
Calling into play bits of melodic hardcore and metal, yet retaining a
technical outlook that strays in and out of math and prog, this is Dilinger
Escape Plan dabbling with the catchier elements of pop and less abrasive,
equally aggressive metal sans obnoxious cookie-monster vocals.
On this EP, they manage to hone their style into an engaging release they can
be proud of.
The static drone of intro track ôMondayö ratchets a palpable tension that
floods like a breaking dam into the near-cacophony of ôSpreading like a
virus,ö a tornado of shredding guitar accompanied by a strong melodic piano
line. As the track progresses, the piano gets swept into the churning
guitars and becomes a mirror rather than a contrasting voice, the intertwined
runs careening and toppling into more dissonant and minor progressions.
The hilariously titled ôBrodown: High Noonö follows, yanking the rug out from
under the tempo, treading at a more relaxed pace and really letting the lush
piano work sink in. But never far from the fore, the loping guitar and drums
keep the piano from lingering too long on any one passage. One of my favorite
tracks, its weight becomes massive as it trudges along, bearing down with a
bittersweet, melancholic intensity that is at once crushing and cathartic.
ôDance you son of a bitchö has a distinct, asymmetrical feel unlike that of
any other on the EP, never settling into a comfortable groove for longer than
30 seconds, a stuttering warzone of piercing prog passages mixed with
grinding metal riffs. ôStop being paranoidö tosses another curve ball, a
muted track playing with shifting times and looping riffs.
ôRemasculatorö takes everything to 11, a ferocious shred-and-chug fest with
surprising clarity, even providing a thematic medley of previous melodic
lines.
The finale ballad, ôPillow talk,ö can be seen as a tongue-in-cheek, humorous
coda to cap off the sturm und drang of the previous 6 tracks on the EP, or a
heart-felt, deeply confessional cooldown for the exhausted listener. But
knowing the guys from Caverns, IÆd bet on the former.
The guitar lines laid down by Kevin Hilliard simultaneously provide technical
pyrotechnics, propulsive sense of tempo and a hefty amount of lyrical depth;
ultimately, there are few problems Hilliard canÆt solve by hailing a sheet of
notes through your speakers. Patrick TaylorÆs piano work is a joy to listen
to. Keeping things weighty, with a lingering touch on each note, he forgoes
the twinkling technical virtuosity that has taken hold of many talented ivory
players, instead employing a more lyrical, meticulous approach and a much
more toneful style that is critical in setting the mood and atmospherics for
each track. Drums are solid, with Ross Hurt providing a tight, driving
rhythmic foundation to the dueling piano and guitar lines.
Caverns have succeeded in refining and distilling a snapshot of their style
and sound into a fantastic EP, full of vitality and spitting fire. A formula
does tend to emerge, as with most hard rock bands: a variety of different
tapestries interweaving soft and pensive with loud and aggressive. But
Caverns blur things just enough so that things never truly become tiresome
and formulaic."
http://www.myspace.com/caverns
- Track List ---------------------------------------------------------------- -
01. Monday ( 1:18)
02. Spreading Like a Virus ( 2:15)
03. Brodown: High Noon ( 5:33)
04. Dance You Son of a Bitch ( 3:03)
05. Stop Being Paranoid ( 6:08)
06. Remasculator ( 2:58)
07. Pillow Talk ( 3:11)
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