Friday 3 June 2011

Review: Cave In - White Silence

Cave In
White Silence
Hydra Head

Cave In were destined for bigger things. The incredible ‘Jupiter’ and the much-maligned ‘Antenna’ had set them on course for the mainstream and they deserved so much more. However, the relationship RCA soured, as band and label argued over musical direction, no doubt swayed by the reaction given to Cave In by their fans for ditching their metalcore beginnings. Somewhat failed by their label, Cave In resigned with Hydra Head, the label they began life with, and started to spread their creative wings again, only to disband temporarily to focus on other projects following 2005’s ‘Perfect Pitch Black’.

White Silence’ is Cave In’s first full-length album since returning to action in 2009. It sees them resume they style they went back to on ‘Perfect Pitch Black’ and further serves to prove that RCA certainly missed a trick by neglecting Cave In. It’s somewhat a Jekyll and Hyde album in reverse, beginning with a snarling metalcore style before metamorphosing in that spacey progressive rock that gone them noticed in the first place, with all the mastery they have shown throughout their career.

It starts off snarling and heavy with the title-track and ‘Serpents’, before beginning the transformation with the epic ‘Sing My Loves’. From then on in, things just get better and better – it remains heavy but much more melodic – ‘Centered’ in particular is sheer quality – and by the end, there’s even Beatles influences shining through, as things mellow down bit by bit into the acoustic closer ‘Reanimation’.

It’s a fantastic return for a band that deserved to be bigger and held in wider regard than they are today. But if they are to remain in the underground, then that’s the wider world’s loss.

No comments:

Post a Comment