Cast From Eden - The Deafened Art of Bleeding Secrets Automated on Deadlines
Catalyst Records - CR19 - 2002
By Philip Whitehouse
Now this is a bit more like it. The second of two four-year-old Catalyst Records re-releases for review this month, Louisville quintet Cast From Eden's first full-length (actually material culled from re-worked re-recordings of their previous two demos) offers a far more interesting proposition than the generic chunky metalcore of labelmates Maroon. Practically free-flowing song structures, instrumental technicality, pummelling breakdowns, tastefully and minimally applied electronics and screamo sensibilities underpinned by a strangely Swedish sense of melody combine on this album to impressive effect.
There are elements here that sound like the focused intricacy of Bleeding Through's best moments mixed with Poison The Well's raw, pained emotion. There are other moments that sound like prime Swedish melo-death played with a punk "fuck it, we'll do the show here" attitude. 'Escape''s mid-section goes from a standard metalcore mosh-section to a hell-for-leather dash then to near-power metal galloping before see-sawing between all three feels (and a few more, besides). The somewhat raw production values somehow seem to help the sense of urgency and energetic abandon, rather than crippling the music.
There are some duff moments, though - with the band throwing so many different ideas at the wall throughout the album, it's inevitable that some of them just aren't going to stick that well. Some of the breakdowns are a bit too drawn out. The untitled track that serves as an intro could really have been jettisoned (although the mid-album untitled electronic instrumental does serve as an interesting, calming, and most importantly, brief segue into the Taken-esque clean guitar opening to album highlight 'Delete'). 'Control''s eight-minute length occasionally tests the patience. But the moments of brilliance are far more frequent than the occasional clangers. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for fans of intelligent, well-played, emotionally-charged metalcore.
7/10
Official Catalyst Records Website
Catalyst Records - CR19 - 2002
By Philip Whitehouse
Now this is a bit more like it. The second of two four-year-old Catalyst Records re-releases for review this month, Louisville quintet Cast From Eden's first full-length (actually material culled from re-worked re-recordings of their previous two demos) offers a far more interesting proposition than the generic chunky metalcore of labelmates Maroon. Practically free-flowing song structures, instrumental technicality, pummelling breakdowns, tastefully and minimally applied electronics and screamo sensibilities underpinned by a strangely Swedish sense of melody combine on this album to impressive effect.
There are elements here that sound like the focused intricacy of Bleeding Through's best moments mixed with Poison The Well's raw, pained emotion. There are other moments that sound like prime Swedish melo-death played with a punk "fuck it, we'll do the show here" attitude. 'Escape''s mid-section goes from a standard metalcore mosh-section to a hell-for-leather dash then to near-power metal galloping before see-sawing between all three feels (and a few more, besides). The somewhat raw production values somehow seem to help the sense of urgency and energetic abandon, rather than crippling the music.
There are some duff moments, though - with the band throwing so many different ideas at the wall throughout the album, it's inevitable that some of them just aren't going to stick that well. Some of the breakdowns are a bit too drawn out. The untitled track that serves as an intro could really have been jettisoned (although the mid-album untitled electronic instrumental does serve as an interesting, calming, and most importantly, brief segue into the Taken-esque clean guitar opening to album highlight 'Delete'). 'Control''s eight-minute length occasionally tests the patience. But the moments of brilliance are far more frequent than the occasional clangers. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for fans of intelligent, well-played, emotionally-charged metalcore.
7/10
Official Catalyst Records Website
