Heavy Pendulum

Last updated
Heavy Pendulum
Heavy Pendulum.jpg
Studio album by
Cave In
ReleasedMay 20, 2022
RecordedJanuary–February, August 2021
Studio GodCity, Salem, Massachusetts
Genre
Length70:30
Label Relapse
Producer Kurt Ballou
Cave In chronology
Final Transmission
(2019)		Heavy Pendulum
(2022)
Singles from Heavy Pendulum
  1. "New Reality"
    Released: March 15, 2022
  2. "Blinded by a Blaze"
    Released: April 5, 2022
  3. "Blood Spiller"
    Released: April 26, 2022
  4. "Reckoning"
    Released: May 10, 2022
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 81/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Blabbermouth.net 9/10 [3]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Distorted Sound10/10 [5]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Kerrang! 4/5 [7]
New Noise Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [8]
Sputnikmusic3.5/5 [9]

Heavy Pendulum is the seventh studio album by American rock band Cave In, released on May 20, 2022 through Relapse Records. [10] This is the band's first album with bassist/backing vocalist Nate Newton, though late bassist/vocalist Caleb Scofield still has a presence on the record. [11]

Contents

Background

In July 2021, Cave In signed to Relapse Records and announced its seventh studio album will be released through the label. [12] The album's title was revealed as Heavy Pendulum with the release of the single "New Reality" on March 15, 2022. [13] The album's second single, "Blinded by a Blaze", was released on April 5. [14] The album's third single, "Blood Spiller", was released on April 26. [15] The fourth single, "Reckoning", was released on May 10; the song was written entirely by guitarist Adam McGrath. [16]

The album was produced by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou, who produced Cave In's debut Until Your Heart Stops . [17]

"New Reality" features a riff that was written by late bassist/vocalist Caleb Scofield in 2011. Additionally, "Amaranthine" features lyrics that were written by Scofield. [5]

Musical style and lyrical themes

Revolver described lead single and opening track "New Reality" as leaning "into the quartet's sludgier inclinations." [18] Jon Hadusek from Consequence referred to the song's riff as "heavy sludge and stoner metal." [19] Second single, "Blinded by a Blaze", has been described as post-metal. [20]

Nicholas Senior of New Noise Magazine described the album as stoner metal, comparing it to Red Fang. [8] Additionally, the album has been noted as having a strong grunge influence [7] [9] and "employing a wide-ranging amalgam of brooding post-grunge and "Creeping Death"-era Metallica thrash". [2]

"Blood Spiller" was written in response to several events that occurred in 2020. Frontman Stephen Brodsky stated:

If you laid out the timeline for 2020 like a recipe, it might look something like this: global pandemic + lockdowns + worldwide protests over the wrongful death of George Floyd + election year = cocktail for end times. Somewhere in that concoction, we found ingredients for a new Cave In album. Blood Spiller is the sound of us swallowing it, getting ripped on the horrors within, and coming down to reflect on it through song. [21]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Cave In, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."New Reality"Cave In, Caleb Scofield 4:41
2."Blood Spiller" 4:01
3."Floating Skulls" 3:39
4."Heavy Pendulum" 5:09
5."Pendulambient" 1:58
6."Careless Offering" 4:55
7."Blinded by a Blaze" 7:39
8."Amaranthine"Cave In, Scofield4:27
9."Searchers of Hell" 3:53
10."Nightmare Eyes" 7:05
11."Days of Nothing" 1:50
12."Waiting for Love" 4:32
13."Reckoning"Adam McGrath4:33
14."Wavering Angel" 12:08
Total length:70:30
Japanese bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
15."Moor" (Every Time I Die cover) Keith Buckley, Jordan Buckley, Andrew Williams, Stephen Micciche, Ryan Leger3:53
Total length:74:23

Personnel

Cave In

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Heavy Pendulum
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [22] 97
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [23] 2

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References

  1. ↑ "Heavy Pendulum by Cave in". Metacritic .
  2. 1 2 Christopher Monger, James (22 May 2022). "Heavy Pendulum – Cave In". AllMusic . Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  3. ↑ Lawson, Dom (17 May 2022). "Reviews - Heavy Pendulum". Blabbermouth.net . Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  4. ↑ Jeffries, Neil (May 20, 2022). "Cave In: Heavy Pendulum album review". Classic Rock . Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Heasley, Ellis (May 16, 2022). "ALBUM REVIEW: Heavy Pendulum - Cave In". Distorted Sound. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Cave In: Heavy Pendulum review - an unapologetically fierce beast". The Guardian . May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Blum, Jordan (May 20, 2022). "Album review: Cave In - Heavy Pendulum". Kerrang! . Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  8. 1 2 Senior, Nicholas (May 18, 2022). "Album Review - Cave In - Heavy Pendulum". New Noise Magazine . Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Rowan5215 (May 16, 2022). "Review: Cave In - Heavy Pendulum". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  10. ↑ Rogers, Jack (March 16, 2022). "This Is Everything You Need To Know About Cave In's New Album 'Heavy Pendulum'". Rock Sound . Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  11. ↑ Sacher, Andrew (March 15, 2022). "Cave In detail new album 'Heavy Pendulum,' share lead single "New Reality"". Brooklyn Vegan . Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  12. ↑ Sacher, Andrew (July 22, 2021). "Cave In sign to Relapse, releasing new album in 2022". Brooklyn Vegan . Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  13. ↑ Brannigan, Paul (March 15, 2022). "Cave In announce new album Heavy Pendulum, share single New Reality". Louder. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  14. ↑ Weaver, James (April 5, 2022). "Cave In release new music video for 'Blinded By A Blaze'". Distorted Sound. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  15. ↑ Rettig, James (April 26, 2022). "Cave In - "Blood Spiller"". Stereogum . Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Cave In premiere new single 'Reckoning'". Lambgoat. May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  17. ↑ Law, Sam (March 16, 2022). "Cave In talk new album Heavy Pendulum". Kerrang! . Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Hear Cave In's Sludgy New Song "New Reality"". Revolver . March 15, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  19. ↑ Hadusek, Jon (March 15, 2022). "Cave In's "New Reality" From New Album Heavy Pendulum". Consequence . Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  20. ↑ Mahmud, Abir (April 6, 2022). "Cave In Share New Song "Blinded By A Blaze'". New Noise Magazine . Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  21. ↑ Heasley, Ellis (April 27, 2022). "Cave In release new music video for 'Blood Spiller'". Distorted Sound. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Cave In – Heavy Pendulum". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
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