Cave In - White Silence

Cave In - White Silence
Genre: Metal/Rock
Rating: 8.5/10

There is always a sense of apprehension when a band reforms. Whilst the exciting prospect of new material from an old favourite is present in mind so to are fears about the motives behind a band getting back together. After Cave In's break up in 2006 most of the members went on to explore new projects and possibilities most notably Clouds and Zozobra. After two albums from each of the previously mentioned projectss the band resumed in 2009 first releasing the Planets Of Old EP and now return this year with their first LP in five years White Silence. The main question is are they back for good or is this just a stab at earning some more capital before heading back to their less commercially successful endeavors?

For those who've never heard Cave In before the band themselves have been through more than a few changes in style over the years. Forming in the mid 90's the bands sound centred around metal and hardcore genres mixing fast brutal beats with pulverising guitars and blood curdling screaming. Following a boom in the market for these in the late nineties the band began to sideline these metal roots in favour of experimenting with other genres like space rock and alt. rock. The change saw the band trade in the heavy sharp guitars of earlier releases for fuzzy distortion and reverb which gave their riffs a huge weight. The band also dabbled with their poppier sensibilities during this time. The bands last album Perfect Pitch Black saw the band mix the two styles together into an all round thrilling if a little chaotic release. White Silence however is a completely different animal. From the crackling intro of the title track it's clear that the listener is not in for a cosy ride as screams try and break through the crackling wall of sound. No sooner is the track over do the band launch into an atrocious assault on the senses with the low down dirty rythm of "Serpents" a filthy furious combination of relentless riffing and fierce growls that is highly reminiscent of Schofields solo work with Zozobra and one of many highlights. Similarly to previous releases the band do not consign themselves to one style here as the metallic pulsing rythms are mixed with some stripped back mellow numbers that finish the album off such as "Heartbreaks, Earthquakes". Other highlights include the sparse yet heavy grooved "Sing My Loves" which is an epic 8 minutes of space rock meeting primordial metal ooze.  Elements of the bands time apart is deffinately clear as elements of some songs seem to hint at both the work of Clouds and Zozobra. The album would be near perfect if not for one or two niggles with the slower tracks.

Overall Cave In do not disappoint. Whilst many bands that reform fail to capture the spark they had the first time around it seems like Cave In's time away has done nothing but affirm each members skill independently and when you put the band back together they use this talent collectively to create something truly remarkable. Highly recommended.

Download: "Serpents" "Sing My Loves"