CAVALCADE “Sonic Euthanasia”

Bermuda Mohawk Productions, 2019

Music: Experimental Metal / Sludge Metal

Website: https://cavalcade.bandcamp.com

Duration: 41:20 minutes (12 tracks)

Country: U.S.A.

CAVALCADE is a tough nut to crack. One could try, but it would be better to paint a psychedelic picture on the nut or maybe throw it someone. It really depends on which track is playing on “Sonic Euthanasia” and where listeners are on the track. Philip Anselmo once welcomed the band onto his label, Housecore Records, but the group didn’t receive enough attention, maybe because the label didn’t know how to market them. The band possess enough groove and sludgy guitar notes to entice CROWBAR and EYEHATEGOD fans. The group even plays the saxophone, something also done by a Housecore artist—CORRECTIONS HOUSE.

Calling CAVALCADE a sludge band is a bit off mark. There are parts of sludge. Sean Peters used to front the early American black metal band, SUMMON (more recently WASTELANDER), and his voice is blackened here, but again—that single moniker doesn’t pull its weight. In that sense, the group is quite paradoxical. The guitars bring the sludge element, but at times riffs sound mild. Also, “Sonic Euthanasia” is more melodic and experimental than a caustic, straight-forward sludge album. Feedback is not a major component, either.

“Sonic Euthanasia” is a layered record. Each instrumental is placed carefully in the mix. One guitar is upfront and groove-laden, while the other sometimes hides lower in the mix, and is used more for effect and harmonization. Keyboards, saxophone, audio samples, and melodica add another layer, a weird, trippy layer. “Soft Science” begins the album with one of its catchiest, sludgiest guitar chords. When the band changes, Brad van Staveren’s and Cale Sauter’s guitars and Craig Horky’s bass bounce back and forth between speakers to create a pleasant stereo effect. The group continues down the path of heaviness with “Aspirate on Aspirations,” which includes a doomy dirge complete with equally foreboding vocals.

Another paradoxical aspect of the album is the vocals. Vocals work in dichotomous fashion, from throaty, black metal shrieks to powerfully sung cleans. These clean parts not only add another dimension, being low in the mix creates another layer. For all the experimentation, one can find traditional songwriting with definite chorus lines, which makes the album even more memorable. “Noose Tie” has more in common with goth rock/gothic metal bands such as PARADISE LOST and TYPE O NEGATIVE than sludge mavens CROWBAR and EYEHATEGOD. The clean work in a similar fashion to the backing vocals heard on TYPE O NEGATIVE albums.

For all the weirdness and experimentation, CAVALCADE manages to create memorable, musical songs. While it’s difficult to pin down a single adjective to describe “Sonic Euthanasia,” one thing is for certain—CAVALCADE do not live inside a box. “Sonic Euthanasia” is a breath of fresh air in an era of stale creativity.

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