ALBUM REVIEW: For The Wild At Heart Kept In Cages – CLEARxCUT
Having formed only last year, CLEARXCUT has had a dramatic rise in popularity. While far from a household name, and yet to establish themselves within hardcore on an international level, they have garnered interest worldwide. Featuring members of melo-death stalwarts HEAVEN SHALL BURN, grindcore merchants IMPLORE and sludge metal purveyors KING APATHY, the pedigree is abundantly superb. The most intriguing ingredient in their debut album, For The Wild At Heart Kept In Cages, however, is certainly CLEARXCUT duel-lead vocal attack.
Despite their name being deeply reminiscent of thuggish beatdown heavy-hardcore, CLEARXCUT opts for a far more emotive, melodic approach. One would be forgiven for assuming that this record would sound like an amalgam of HATEBREED, and SICK OF IT ALL, but this could not be further from the truth. The guitar tone in particular on For The Wild… often has more to do with shoegaze than it does hardcore; it could easily be exchanged for that which was present on TOUCHE AMORE’s Stage Four and the difference would be marginal. Make no mistake, the compositions and performances possess as much aggression and conviction as any good hardcore album should, but it is tonally engineered in a different manner. Of course, there are some moments, particularly on A Shadow Falls Across The Ravaged Land where the band indulge every hardcore trope they love, but more often than not, the band stray from this. This may turn purists away, but one gets the impression CLEARXCUT aren’t entirely bothered. However, the music itself is almost incidental in its presence – this album appears to be a vehicle for the members’ political beliefs.
While all of the members’ previous bands have dealt with political issues such as corruption and anti-fascism, its presence has never been more difficult to ignore than here in CLEARXCUT; their debut release was an EP called The Vegan Straight Edge – their beliefs are no mystery to the listener. Within the album’s seven songs, the band combat issues such as authoritarian politics, feminism and women’s’ rights, capitalism, industrialisation, the liberation of animals as well as both the vegan and straight-edge lifestyle. The album acts as an emotive and deeply personal exploration of these beliefs, there is no question of the writers’ convictions; it’s entirely honest, and thus, deeply infectious.
There are a number of great moments present. Opening with Unison is a great decision; it’s one of the punchier songs on the album, but also one of the most harmonious. Musically, one would be forgiven for mistaking it for a forgotten FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND song – certainly no bad thing. The Key To The Cages, which deals with the topic of animal liberation, shows the band at their most mournful. While an up-tempo number musically, the vocal performances aren’t so much commanding as it is desperate. There are moments of genuine sorrow, and the commitment to the task at hand is often compelling.
The group even save their most effective surprise for the final song Collapse, which appears to be a fairly basic 2-minute breakdown. Initially, it’s a satisfying, but artistically hollow way to close the album. This is followed by a brief silence, which is broken by an emotive solo piano. It’s exquisitely performed and forces the listener to re-address their thoughts on the album in its final moments. It’s an excellent idea and shows an admirable nous for a band in their infancy.
On occasion, the music can come across as a tad simplistic. Hardcore is a hot property globally right now, and it takes a great deal to force the limelight upon you. CODE ORANGE were underground darlings until they took industrial elements, which brought them global acclaim. TURNSTILE could have been a TRAPPED UNDER ICE tribute band until they opted to include tropes of lounge, funk and hip-hop, at which point they were catapulted into phenomena. One can’t help but think CLEARXCUT could do with more to their arsenal as they comparatively lack the tricks their rivals possess.
Further, there are some moments which can only be described as ill-advised. The environmentally minded A Shadow Falls Across The Ravaged Land has a jarring spoken-word passage in the middle of the song. It’s nothing new, but it’s not entirely common in hardcore, and it totally drains the savagery from the portion of the track. What initially acts as an adrenaline shot soon begins to feel like a lecture. Your tolerance for the unapologetic way they share their beliefs is already a factor in how much you could enjoy this album, and while not everything they preach is agreeable, it only really distracts when the band don’t seem to be considering the music at all. It’s not often, but sometimes it does seem to detract from the music itself.
For a band so young, CLEARXCUT have done exceptionally well on their debut album. Their formation barely stretches back a year, and they have managed to craft a focused, component set of songs which will likely sound explosive in the live environment. However, this band have years of experience between them, which is why it is sometimes a little unfortunate to see them fall prey to mistakes new bands often make. There’s time yet, and you best not bet against CLEARXCUT, for they have all the potential to do something great. It’s likely the band are still finding their feet and will have shed the unnecessary weight come their sophomore album.
Rating: 7/10
For The Wild At Heart Kept In Cages is out now via Catalyst Records.
Like CLEARXCUT on Facebook.