Cage Fight: Shedding Skin Through Savagery
The word ‘exuvia’ refers to the exoskeletons left behind by invertebrates after they moult. Vital as a means of growth and maturing for those creatures, it works just as well as a metaphor for humans, which is why it’s perfect as the title of the exceptional second album from CAGE FIGHT, the follow up to 2022’s self-titled release.
“Rachel (Aspe, vocals) came up with the name,” reveals guitarist James Monteith. “It was partly down to the rebirth of the band in a way – new lineup (Will Horsman has joined on bass), new sound and therefore a new beginning – but it also reflected her own rebirth a person, as she dealt with certain things through her lyric writing.”
Although an experienced musician for over a decade – she was part of French metal band ETHS from 2013 to 2016 – this album marks the first time Rachel had ever contributed on a lyrical front, in the process unlocking not just a new talent, but a new form of therapy.
“On the first record she was happy to sing pre-written lyrics as she wasn’t as confident with her English” James explains, “but a particular experience she had was the catalyst for her to write I Hate Your Guts and she said ‘It felt great to write that down’. I responded ‘great, what else is on your mind?’ and she just kept writing. I believe she really found it a very cathartic process, and I also think it’s made for a better record because it’s very genuine.”
Genuine is the right word; for all that metalheads are partial to the odd band who play big, simple riffs that could be described as ‘caveman-esque’, they’re not stupid; they can tell a band who aren’t putting everything into their craft a mile away. Exuvia sees Rachel wear her heart on her sleeve and give both barrels to all topics of conversation in her delivery, whether she’s calling out those who send her unsolicited, online messages in Pig or detailing her grandmother’s cancer battle on the title track, something the matriarch actually features on.
“The lyrics came about from their conversations in the hospital while she was receiving treatment,” James relays. “They’re very close and recorded a lot of the conversations they had together, which led to us using a sample of that audio in the song; her grandmother also helped her shape the lyrics before she brought them to us.”
It’s not just Rachel’s personal evolution which makes Exuvia stand out. Musically, while it retains the uncompromising thrash of the self-titled, there’s far more nuance and melody too. “The first album is a ‘vibe’ record, really,” admits James. “We churned out loads of stuff, said ‘yeah, that’s cool’ and recorded it. This time around, we’ve got to know each other as musicians and figured out common interests; it’s helped us go a little bit further into death metal, post-rock and even hard rock; the guitar solo in Une Bon Souvenir is cheesy as hell, but it’s great because we’ve all agreed we like that sort of cheese!”
Ah yes, Une Bon Souvenir. Another Rachel penned track, talking about being in a band controlled by a toxic, manipulative individual, it also saw her step into clean singing for the first time in a number of years, not only adding an extra string to CAGE FIGHT’s bow but turning the chorus into one built to be sung in arenas. “She never felt it was her strength,” James says, “so she’s spent the last few years training that melodic side of her voice, having lessons and really working on it, and she reached a point where she was confident with it and drove that melodic side of the new record as a result.”
For James, who also plays guitar in prog-metal heavyweights TESSERACT, he’s aware his life will now be spent juggling his time between his two outfits, but that doesn’t mean it gets easier when schedules clash. “I had massive FOMO when I first had to miss a show (Bloodstock in 2022) because I was elsewhere with TESSERACT,” he confesses “and while that feeling never really goes away, it’s also massively selfish because if I’m not there, it’s because I’m doing something else. But it’s definitely a relief that the band can go off and do shows without me through the help of friends as and when required.”
Could both tour together and you open for yourself? “It’s not the worst idea in the world, but from my experience on social media, there’s not much fan crossover. Maybe we’ll get some more with this album, who knows?”
CAGE FIGHT was initially started by James in lockdown, to scratch a creative itch that TESSERACT couldn’t satisfy. Two albums and several tours later, that decision looks like it is paying off.
Exuvia is out now via Spinefarm Records. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS131 here.
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