Planets of Awesome

Cave In is back. You should know this. A new single hit the 'net shelves at iTunes today, called "Retina Sees Rewind", which is taken from the forthcoming 12" 4-song EP Planets of Old, coming July 28th on the ever-awesome Hydra Head Records. It will rule. You should also know this.

A lot of people have their fandom split between the metalcore originators era (1995-1998) and the Failure-loving days (1999-2004), but I seem to really dig where they've been going off and on since 2005's Perfect Pitch Black...They go wherever the fuck they want. It's like Led Zeppelin meets Old Man Gloom at Ken Andrew's house. The new track is killer and keeps with this freedom, leaving the listener with under 3 minutes of aural bliss.

The band reunites on July 19th in Mass for "reunion"/record release show of sorts. Tickets sold out in 2 minutes or some crazy shit like that.

In case you can't tell, I cannot wait for this.

A tasty nugget to get you excited: "The World Is In Your Way" Live, 2005

Blog of Prey

So, um...I just got my copy of the sparkling new Zozobra album "Bird of Prey" and, um, I'm blown away. I mean, I expected it to be crushing, expansive, heavy and all that stuff, but I just wasn't prepaired for what Mr. Caleb Scofield (Cave In/Old Man Gloom) and Aaron Turner (Isis) had in store for my ears (and eyes...simply stunning packaging and embossing...Aaron Tuner has done it again). You know it's some good shit when one of the heaviest things you hear all year is packaged in a pretty purple sleeve. That's what I'm talkin' about right there!

A bit less of the electronic and shoegazer moments on this one. A lot of sheer brutality and hard-driving bass lines, put WAY up front in the mix...The way more records should be. And they did this (production and all) in a shitty little practice room somewhere in LA. Gotta love that.

WHEN you buy this, please listen to "In Jet Streams". Consider your face torn off at that point.

Cave In "Juggarnaut" Live 2004:

I'm Re-Learning Science

You can too, thanks to The Ocean and their latest installment, the 2-disc ass-rumbling behemoth they call Precambrian. Disc one is 22 minutes of traditional sick metal and hardcore, while the second disc is a lot of new ground to cover, bringing in elements of classical, atmospheric shoegazer rock, piano interludes and a lot more. Not the usual fare for a hc/metal band from Germany. Of course, The Ocean is not a usual band. It's made up of 1,245 dudes (seriously, about 20) at any given time. They have many guest vocalists, including Caleb (Cave In, Zozobra, Old Man Gloom), Nate (Converge, Doomriders) and Sean (Coalesce)...Right there I was sold.

Precambrian is a complex concept record, following their sophomore release ad Metal Blade debut, Aeolian. These dudes are like, smart and stuff.

I actually have to go listen to this now, as typing about it doesn't do it justice. Heavy where you want it to be, mellow where you'd never expect it. Simple chords strung together, woven with odd-time breaks and quite impressive chops. This is progressive metal at its finest. I don't mean Prog, I mean true metal music transcending all genres, yet still kicking you square in your nuts.

Buy this record and support THE OCEAN and go check 'em out: The Ocean Collective

2006 live clip: