The band's Relapse Records debut received its shine amidst an enthusiastic crowd.
Text, Photos by Raymond Camacho (@punk_monk_ray) at the
Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles on December 9, 2022:
The outstanding longevity of Cave In cannot be simply settled in the fact that they are a staple of the 90's East Coast metalcore scene. They can totally claim that as a part of their legacy, but it's that claim and their reputation to push themselves and experiment with new sounds and textures that make them the genre kings that they are. Last week's show at the Teragram Ballroom showed that.
The audience was warmed up by supporting act Astronoid — a heavy, self-proclaimed ethereal progressive rock band from Massachusetts whose space-like theme matches Cave In's play. The attention to atmosphere and melody spread across their new album, Radiant Bloom (3DOT Recordings, 2022) matched that of Cave In's Jupiter (2000), Final Transmission (2019), and the evening's album of focus, Heavy Pendulum (2022).
Cave In started off strong with Heavy Pendulum opener, New Reality, which set the mood for what the audience was going to expect from the night.
The band's discography spans decades of incredible work and experimental sounds, and they played songs from almost every album, including Antenna, White Silence, Jupiter, and Until Your Heart Stops. Again, it bears repeating — Cave In is known to push themselves into beautiful sonic layers that expand on their metalcore roots.
There was a certain energy in the air, like a breath of new life, a newfound excitement. Frontman Stephen Brodsky and Nate Newton would exchange glances from time to time as though to say, "I'm glad to be doing this again." Nate, being the new bassist for Cave In after the passing of Caleb Scofield, shouted, "This is Caleb's bass. He's here with us." It was a moment respected and admired by the audience, celebrating and expressing Caleb’s life and contribution to Cave In’s ceaseless ability to play live and write more music.
They continued their Heavy Pendulum set and concluded with a fan favorite, Big Riff. This latest album is a departure from the predecessor, but they made it very clear during their set that this isn't a comeback, but a spark into a new adventure – a new life. Heaviest of Art had the pleasure of checking in with Stephen and Heavy Pendulum cover artist Richey Beckett regarding the state of mind it finds the band in. We are all very grateful that Cave In continues to play.
Enjoy a photo gallery of the performance below and stream/order Heavy Pendulum.
