Cave In – Planets of Old
Chris’ Review:
Speaking of old, if Cave In still has any old fans left, I think they’ll enjoy this latest E.P. Perhaps “old” is not specific enough to date a Cave In fan, because the band is on at least its third career under the same name. So, let us say, fans that appreciated both the major label Cave In and the original hardcore Cave In should find something they like on Planets of Old. Speaking as one of those fans, I’m saying that honestly… and not as a promo for Perfect Pitch Black, which was neither perfect nor black. I’ve only had the Planets of Old songs less than a week, and I think I’ve listened to them more times than I’ve ever listened to that last album. The driving energy of these four songs is all I could hope for from Cave In.
A larger question looms… will Planets of Old win new fans for this deserving rock stalwart? No, not likely. However, I doubt Cave In cares, and the music is surely better for it. The uniqueness of Cave In’s style and sound sets them well above mediocre, but at the same time sets them firmly in the category of ‘acquired taste.’
The E.P.’s opener, “Cayman Tongue,” sets a fairly heavy mood but with that great, trademark, crystal-clear vocal of Stephen Brodsky. A balance of screamy vocals and noise-jam interlude is thrown into the song to remind you that this is the “new” new Cave In.
Second track “Retina Sees Rewind” is a little weirder to me; Stephen Brodsky goes full-on Geddy Lee over rapid-fire riffage for exactly two minutes flat (and I think the song is about the movie “Spaceballs!”). An added bonus from this song, and others on this E.P., is the sweet guitar tones that will have pedal-philes leaning into the speakers. Was that an Octavial-Mega-Muff through a Jerk-Store-Super-Chorus?
“The Red Trail” is the lackluster track of the bunch. It’s not that bad, it’s just that other bands, such as Cave In’s incestuous brethren Converge, have recorded better versions of this song over the years. Change the scream vocals back to the trademark Cave In sound referenced above, and I’d probably be loving this.
The driving tempo and riffs continue through “Air Escapes” which may be the least ‘fresh’ of all these songs, but didn’t I say I was an old Cave In fan? Cave In just sold me another record.
Chris’ Rating:
King says: “Singing three octaves higher could make this band a hit. But it’s a good listen nonetheless.”
Justin’s Review:
Unless you’ve been skipping out on paying your internet bill for the last few months, you’ve no doubt read that Boston’s most famous hardcore/indie/metal/space/prog/alternative/punk/pop/rock band are back from their two-and-a-half-year hiatus.
While their last effort (2005’s Perfect Pitch Black) was a far cry from the spacey-pop stylings of Antenna (which still ruled, despite it’s non-metalness), it found the band struggling a bit to come to terms their “newest” musical direction (a feat they somehow manage to do with each new recording). They wanted to be heavy again, but they weren’t quite ready to commit to a full-on return their old-school HxC days.
Fast forward 4 years, a couple of half-assed side projects (and one decent one) later, and BAM… Cave In are fucking back! Planets of Old is both everything I had hoped for, and nothing I expected at the same time. It’s heavy, aggressive, fast, and pummeling; but altogether different than any heavy, aggressive, fast, and pummeling Cave In songs you’ve heard before. Each one of the four tracks are unique in their own right… and considering the musical ground Cave In have already covered in their 11+ year career, that’s a pretty astonishing feat. Basically, Planets of Old comes in, kicks you in the balls for 15 minutes, and leaves you wanting more.
In another interesting turn of events, longtime drummer J.R. Conners, who left the band shortly after the release of PPB, (replaced by Converge’s Ben Koller… who offered up a noticeably more aggressive and looser approach), is back at the fold, and has surprisingly taken a bit of inspiration from Koller’s frantic style. Moreover, the complexity of the riffs and song structures are toned down from typical Cave In fare, but that just proves (once again) that the band doesn’t need to be playing Juggernaut to justify their position amongst metal’s elite.
In short… if you don’t like Planets of Old… you’re probably wasting your time reading this site.
In “classic” Hydra Head fashion, this one’s only available on vinyl format (for those of us who still listen to records once in a blue moon), but if you’re dying to hear it (and you certainly should be)… the entire E.P. is streaming here.
Justin’s Rating:
King says: “Yeah, this shit pretty much rules… that reminds me… I need to put in a call into my buds at Guitar Hero, and get “Big Riff” submitted for DLC.”
