Listening through the opening salvo from Powdered, the fourth full-length from Cavern is like listening to the yearning of Dallas Green off early Alexisonfire records combined with the complexity of anything the Deftones do. The record is dense and daring, profound, prolific, alluring, and downright amazing.
But I digress.
The aforementioned “River” is, to put it simply, dreamy. Laying out a carefully crafted soundscape that emotes and evokes all the feelings, Cavern start Powdered with this definitive high note that continues until the last chords of closer “Fade Before the Flood” ring out. Yes, kids, it’s all THAT GOOD.
“Grey” is built from textural intricacies with Rose Heater’s bass hum baring down in the most comforting way while later, the title track is urgent as Heater’s glimmering vocals soothe and soar while Zach Harkins’ guitar lines cut a swath of aural awesome.
“Red Moon” sways and grooves, taking the sonic bombast of Hum and combining it with the tangled musical verbiage of Mastodon to conjure a veritable labyrinth of sounds as Stephen Schrock’s entangled drumming circles Harkins’ riffage with Heater’s shining voice at the forefront leading the charge.
“Dove” thumps and throbs and glistens thanks to the combined might of Heater’s bass and vocals with the guitar work from Harkins once again peaking, switching from an impenetrable fortress of riffs to jangly jams that scream and stand out. Then there’s “Fade Before the Flood” which brings the latest Cavern chapter to a close and is akin to listening to The Wild Heart by Stevie Nicks for the first time put through a Post-Rawk blender.
Powdered lands on August 28th and can be yours when you pre-order by clicking here or here. For the latest on Cavern, follow the socials by clicking here or here.