ALBUM REVIEW: The Bones That Grew From Pain – Nicolas Cage Fighter
No, you’re not hallucinating – NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER really is the name of this band. Hailing from Ballarat, Australia, the four-piece combine metallic hardcore with death metal influences and a bit of heaviness from the 90s to boot. It’s certainly pricked a few ears, not least Chris Santos, the celebrity chef who partnered with Metal Blade mogul Brian Slagel in 2016 to found Blacklight Media, and it’s here we find The Bones That Grew From Pain, the band’s full-length debut out today.
NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER are no slouches – they’ve been around since 2011 and have a couple of EPs to their name already alongside live shows with the likes of THY ART IS MURDER and DEEZ NUTS. However, it goes without saying that if you’re a young, hungry band wanting to break through, making a big statement of intent early on is definitely going to help you; The Bones That Grew From Pain does just that. Opening track Grey Eye begins with a rumbling of guitars and drums before exploding into a barrage of riffs, whilst Shrine Of Wire, the first song released from the record, is a much more groove-laden and straightforward affair, not that this makes it any less ferocious, mind. Static Abyss and the subsequent title track are where bands such as CODE ORANGE and CONVERGE begin to make their influence on NCF known – there’s more emphasis on an off-kilter time signature and a darker, overall feel; it’s not explicit or at the forefront, but it’s definitely bubbling away in the background.
If you’re not careful, songs will come and go in a flash – most recent single Compound And Fracture is a blistering attack that’s a shade over two minutes in length. Likewise, the whole record is concluded in under 40, ensuring it doesn’t outstay its welcome and lands with maximum impact. It finishes with the one-two of Heretic’s Vow – the longest track and one that feels like early PARKWAY DRIVE married with MALEVOLENCE – and A Great Ruinous Deed, a track that does away with the notion that you should finish on a slower number and instead brings a hefty dose of melodic death metal into NCF‘s repertoire, with a dash of BURY TOMOROW thrown in for good measure. The album is balanced and consistent throughout, although some may find it a little ‘by the numbers’ at moments. This is a minor gripe in the grand context of The Bones… however, because it is boosted by the sheer force of always swinging for the fences – and when it connects, it knocks balls out of the park left, right and centre.
This is a record that sparkles with potential from beginning to end from a band with easily the best name of 2022, perhaps the last few years or even longer. It’s another huge feather in the cap for Blacklight Media, who have backed a good number of winners in recent times like CAPRA and RXPTRS, and is sure to see NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER win over – pun intended – swarms of new followers. If you like heavy, this will be right up your street.
Rating: 7/10
The Bones That Grew From Pain is out now via Blacklight Media/Metal Blade Records.
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