ALBUM REVIEW: Cage Fight – Cage Fight
Born from the bedroom of TESSERACT guitarist James Monteith, CAGE FIGHT have built up an impressive head of steam in their short time as a band. They’ve worked hard for it too, landing themselves a deal with the Universal/Spinefarm subsidiary Candlelight Records while also seemingly on a mission to support everyone who’s come anywhere near London in the past few months. With all this in mind, the hype surrounding the quartet’s self-titled debut album is certainly palpable; but is it justified?
It’s a question that receives a firm and forceful answer after just a single listen to Cage Fight. This is a furious, urgent record – a shot in the arm and a punch to the face all at once. Stepping away from his usual dealings in mind-bending polyrhythms, Monteith opts for something far more primal here, joined by his bandmates in an outpouring of gleefully meat-headed old school hardcore. That isn’t to say this is ‘dumb’ or overly brutish though; there’s a serious political bent here, with Monteith and co. setting their sights on real world issues like racism and corruption to powerfully scathing effect.
Recorded without clicks or backing tracks, CAGE FIGHT’s brand of hardcore hits just as hard as their name suggests. Fans of TERROR, HATEBREED, MADBALL and the like eat your heart out; this album contains a gigantic riff, breakdown or gang vocal shout-along around just about every corner. You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again, but don’t let that stop you for a second. After the brief hip-hop-tinged Intro, the opening run of The Mirror Shattered, Killer and Hope Castrated soon sets about laying waste to all in sight, each track seemingly intent on one-upping the aggro of its predecessor.
With its blueprint clearly and quickly laid out, Cage Fight doesn’t really deviate from there – why should it? Sixth track Guillotine shows no mercy at all, its suggestions of “Sometimes the solutions are right in front of you” made all the more threatening given the song’s title. Lead single Shine Don’t Fade thrashes especially hard too – a rousing call to loyalty, integrity and honour. The production is top-notch here and throughout, ticking all the biting and beefy boxes a record like this demands.
To be honest, Cage Fight probably doesn’t need to be quite as long as it is. Forty-five minutes is something of an undertaking for a record that hits as relentlessly as this. That said, the question of what to cut doesn’t come with any easy answers; it’s all quality here, and remains that way to the very end. Eating Me Alive provides another blistering thrashing, this one featuring guest vocals from Trevor Strnad of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. My Dreams after that is the longest song on the record by some way, a fittingly epic and dynamic track that could’ve worked well as the album’s closer. That honour goes to a cover of Bitch In The Pit by BODY COUNT however. The band play this pretty straight, and while it doesn’t feel entirely essential, it is still solid enough.
We’ve already said that you’ve probably heard records like this before, but it would definitely be a mistake to skip Cage Fight. This is grippingly furious hardcore made with real love and passion. It has plenty to say, all delivered with bracing conviction both musical and otherwise. If you’re in the UK you’ll probably see them soon, but the quality of what’s on offer here should surely and swiftly send this band far beyond the confines of their country of residence.
Rating: 8/10
Cage Fight is set for release on May 13th via Candlelight Records.
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