Cave In
Planets Of Old

It seems that the hiatus has indeed benefited Cave In.
The last EP, "Perfect Pitch Black" from 2005, was promising. The confused ideas of "Antenna" (which nonetheless contained some gems like "Joy Opposites" and "Inspire") had fortunately faded away.

"Planets Of Old" continues the conversation with greater confidence. Four powerful tracks imbued with the touch of genius that has always distinguished this Massachusetts band, active since way back in 1995.

"Cayman's Tongue" sets the stage. Powerful riffs and a hypnotic bass for a total of a massive six minutes. The screaming alternates with more melodic parts by vocalist Stephen Brodsky, creating a crescendo of energy that bursts into an insane chorus. It takes a few listens to fully appreciate it. What an opening!

The tracks composing the EP each have a different approach; in fact, with "Retina Sees Rewind", the first single released, we see the first signs of novelty.
The speed and the instantly catchy chorus are the winning cards of the EP's best track. It reminded me a lot of the wonderful melodic openings present in "Antenna," but with that creative and powerful flair of "Jupiter."

At a certain point, it felt like I had a track by Converge in my earphones. How strange, I thought. "The Red Trail" had just started. Sick screams and frantic rhythms for a track that will delight genre lovers.

The openings of "Air Escapes", featuring spatial riffs, close "Planets Of Old" in a convincing manner, bringing us back a band in great shape, still figuring out the path they want to take.