Lunatic's Serenade
HMS Music Spotlight
Like a breath of fresh air, I breathe in this new take on an old school sound. Cauldron is a power trio from the Great White North, (Toronto, Canada) but their music has an English metal vibe. Big, bright snare action by Myles Deck, chunky guitar work from Ian Chains, and Jason Decay on bass brings the tight pocket bottom end. Jason’s vocals are smooth as glass, rhyming the reason.
“No Return / In Ruin” kicks in right away with the heaviness and doesn’t let up until the end. The clean guitar on the verses adds a bit of tension and dimness to the song. “Empress,” expands on Cauldron’s metal foundation with thicker tones and a more aggression. It’s a great lead into the next song, “Burning at Both Ends.” Jason keeps that breathy ease in his voice throughout the turmoil of the song. “Hold Your Fire” and “Come Not Here” have enough intensity for two records and the catchy Judas Priest like rhythms of “Corridors of Dust” gets the blood pumping.
The instrumental, “Delusive Serenade,” showcases the versatility that Cauldron has. They can dive deep into metal noise and then turn and slap you with the melancholy. “Outrance,” ends the record on a speedy, rhythmic note. The guitars remind me of “Over the Mountain” by Ozzy Osbourne, and the solo is very Randy Rhoads inspired as well. Cauldron does a great job channeling the spirit of British heavy metal.
Downside, the bass and cymbals are mixed too low for my taste, and the vocals are a bit over produced with a tad too much reverb. Upside is the songwriting of these tracks. The care in arranging the music to capture the sound of the British heavy metal movement in modern fashion takes talent, true dedication, and inspiration from the music that molded the heavy metal genre. Cauldron, In Ruin, gets an 8.
Cauldron had to recently cancel their last eight dates of their tour with Enforcer, Warbringer, and Exmortus. Their van flipped during an accident on a Texas Highway Sunday night after their gig in Dallas. Axeman, Ian Chains, suffered broken bones to his neck and back but is expected to make a full recovery. He was released from the hospital on Feb. 19th.
Cauldron
In Ruin
(The End Records)
Written by: Tim Duran
8 out of 10
From their Facebook posted Feb. 15, 2016: “Sorry to report the unfortunate news of our accident (not at fault btw) on the highway in Texas last night and that we will have to pull out of the remaining 8 tour dates. Ian is recovering in hospital and is expected to make a full recovery; otherwise everyone is going to be ok. We are just happy to be alive at this point. Thanks for your support and to our tour mates Enforcer, Warbringer and Exmortus; we had fun and wish you all the best; hope to see you all again soon.”
Many fans want to help the band financially get through this. The band is setting up a donation page, but for now, for a minimum donation of $30, they will send you a choice of leftover tour shirt or Ian Chains benefit shirt. Check their Facebook page for details, Ian’s progress, and to keep up with the band. We here at HMS wish him a speedy and full recovery.
Tim Duran, HMS
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