Cathedral
Caravan Beyond Redemption

THE REVIEW

Lee Dorrian: synonymous with quality and consistency. First his adventure with Napalm Death and then with Cathedral elevated him to a cult figure in the global metal scene, particularly the Anglo-Saxon one.

In both bands, he left a significant mark, so much so that some consider him one of the early inventors of grindcore with Napalm Death, while others recognize him for an important contribution to expanding the doom genre with Cathedral. Personally, I've always preferred the doom side of Dorrian, who with albums like "Forest of Equilibrium," "The Ethereal Mirror," and "The Carnival Bizarre" has defined significant contours of the slower and more monolithic branch of metal.

Yet, the career of the English band is not devoid of works that haven't convinced: "Supernatural Birth Machine," the album preceding "Caravan Beyond Redemption," didn't particularly impress, which is why the comeback of Dorrian and company was awaited with a certain dose of curiosity. When on December 6, 1998, CBR came to light, the long shadows of the previous chapter were immediately swept away, thanks to the power and authenticity of the fifth studio album by Cathedral.

What stands out from the outset is the departure from the pressing doom of their beginnings, in favor of a more heavy metal oriented approach with notable stoner rock nuances, primarily due to Gaz Jennings’ guitar. These "new" nuances are already perceived in the metallic swirl of the opener "Voodoo Fire," which references the unmistakable Kyuss as a nod to a raw but absolutely impactful stoner rock. The subsequent track "The Unnatural World" also hits the mark fully with a compact and absolutely perfect sound structure on which stands a anthemic chorus that wonderfully fits the album's atmosphere, never too heavy as in the past, but at the same time never in search of easy catchy solutions. Cathedral hit hard and do so with a reason, as demonstrated by "Satanikus Robotikus" and "Captain Clegg," the latter with a compelling and at times irreverent rhythm.

It is indisputable that previous works possessed something more in terms of quality, but "Caravan Beyond Redemption" still manages to hold its own, despite partially diverging from the band's origins. The presence of songs like "Kaleidoscope of Desire" and "The Omega Man" demonstrate that the will to change also brings the possibility of making mistakes, which is why this album doesn't reach the heights of other Cathedral works. In the end, however, we are faced with a varied record, delivering decent punches to the gut and solutions that are never boring: some tracks are superior to others, but overall "Caravan Beyond Redemption" turns out to be a great album, with an important length. A platter that can very well stand in the long history of Cathedral.

1. "Voodoo Fire" (6:11)
2. "The Unnatural World" (4:04)
3. "Satanikus Robotikus" (5:01)
4. "Freedom" (5:05)
5. "Captain Clegg" (6:06)
6. "Earth Messiah" (5:17)
7. "The Caravan" (3:00)
8. "Revolution" (7:08)
9. "Kaleidoscope Of Desire" (4:45)
10. "Heavy Load" (6:08)
11. "The Omega Man" (5:58)
12. "Dust Of Paradise" (14:03)