Originally written by Drew Ailes
Perfect Pitch Black sounds like the result of the best parts of their ethereal and well-received release, Antenna, smashed together with their near-timeless harder and aggressive material. For those of us who have complained of being unable to completely stomach Brodsky’s soft and restrained vocals, soaring guitar leads, and melodramatic structure as of late, this latest release perfectly bridges the gap between the two separate sides of Cave In. While it by no means is a return to their quirky hardcore/metal hybrid of the old, it succeeds in being moderately heavier than their last few releases, largely due to the reintroduction of the band’s harsher vocals. So many bands seem to have a natural progression into this sound, however, despite the fact that Perfect Pitch Black is an immense step forward, everything feels so right that you’re left wondering why they weren’t able to write these songs a few years ago.
Formerly, the most remarkable thing about Cave In was how effortlessly they combined beautiful and progressive melodies with urgency, quirkiness, and controlled bouts of anger. This was the sound their older fans were introduced to early on but lost touch with. Today, because of the depth and sincerity in their songwriting, the only thing that keeps the band from becoming an incredibly popular yet engaging artist, not unlike A Perfect Circle, is once again that raw and provoked style. After a brief ambient track, the album opens with “The World Is In Your Way”, a song with massive and thick riffing coupled with both well-executed yells and dynamic singing that oddly go hand-in-hand. “Off To Ruin” brings more of a darker and enigmatic feel with its slower tempo and bent guitar that carries the entire weight of the track excellently. Arguably, the highlight of the CD is “Trepanning,” an undeniably catchy, groovy, and irresistibly driving tune that gives the impression that everything you’ve heard over the last week is a vast disappointment in comparison. Spanning even a wider scope, “Down The Drain” floats on a blanket of warm noise, acoustic strumming, and unearthly singing before the bass-heavy “Droned” enters to reestablish a small piece of order and sensibility. The album eventually closes with the powerful choruses just barely contained within “Screaming In Your Sleep”, leaving the imprint that this is just the first of many great chapters coming to a close.
This is an album for fans of spectacular music, not just fans of Cave In of a specific era. Although many have made plenty of scathing remarks about the band’s venture into a more commercially acceptable sound, this latest album proves that there’s a stunning amount of something unusual other than pure talent injected into each track. As I see it, this is the release that’s going to launch them into a much deserved and previously unseen realm of popularity for the band, so go ahead and pick this up without hesitation and cast aside any urge to scoff at the band for not creating another Until Your Heart Stops. Perfect Pitch Black is an outstanding release, through and through. Perfect Pitch Black sounds like the result of the best parts of their ethereal and well-received release, Antenna, smashed together with their near-timeless harder and aggressive material. For those of us who have complained of being unable to completely stomach Brodsky’s soft and restrained vocals, soaring guitar leads, and melodramatic structure as of late, this latest release perfectly bridges the gap between the two separate sides of Cave In. While it by no means is a return to their quirky hardcore/metal hybrid of the old, it succeeds in being moderately heavier than their last few releases, largely due to the reintroduction of the band’s harsher vocals. So many bands seem to have a natural progression into this sound, however, despite the fact that Perfect Pitch Black is an immense step forward, everything feels so right that you’re left wondering why they weren’t able to write these songs a few years ago. Formerly, the most remarkable thing about Cave In was how effortlessly they combined beautiful and progressive melodies with urgency, quirkiness, and controlled bouts of anger. This was the sound their older fans were introduced to early on but lost touch with. Today, because of the depth and sincerity in their songwriting, the only thing that keeps the band from becoming an incredibly popular yet engaging artist, not unlike A Perfect Circle, is once again that raw and provoked style. After a brief ambient track, the album opens with “The World Is In Your Way”, a song with massive and thick riffing coupled with both well-executed yells and dynamic singing that oddly go hand-in-hand. “Off To Ruin” brings more of a darker and enigmatic feel with its slower tempo and bent guitar that carries the entire weight of the track excellently. Arguably, the highlight of the CD is “Trepanning,” an undeniably catchy, groovy, and irresistibly driving tune that gives the impression that everything you’ve heard over the last week is a vast disappointment in comparison. Spanning even a wider scope, “Down The Drain” floats on a blanket of warm noise, acoustic strumming, and unearthly singing before the bass-heavy “Droned” enters to reestablish a small piece of order and sensibility. The album eventually closes with the powerful choruses just barely contained within “Screaming In Your Sleep”, leaving the imprint that this is just the first of many great chapters coming to a close.
This is an album for fans of spectacular music, not just fans of Cave In of a specific era. Although many have made plenty of scathing remarks about the band’s venture into a more commercially acceptable sound, this latest album proves that there’s a stunning amount of something unusual other than pure talent injected into each track. As I see it, this is the release that’s going to launch them into a much deserved and previously unseen realm of popularity for the band, so go ahead and pick this up without hesitation and cast aside any urge to scoff at the band for not creating another Until Your Heart Stops. Perfect Pitch Black is an outstanding release, through and through.
