Born from the ashes of his previous project, Toronto, Ontario-based Vocalist/Bassist Jason Decay formed the Heavy Metal band Cauldron with Drummer Al “Artillery” Chambers and Guitarist Ian Chain back in 2006. Within the year, the band dropped their debut EP, Into the Cauldron. Garnishing themselves some deserved attention, they toured Canada before signing with Earache Records in 2008, and the following year, Cauldron released their first full-length album, Chained to the Nite. Releasing two strong follow-up full-lengths, 2011’s Burning Fortune and 2012’s Tomorrow’s Lost, Cauldron proved they were a force to be reckoned with in the Heavy Metal world. Now with Decay, Chain, and Drummer since 2012, Myles Deck, the band find themselves with a new label in Brooklyn, NY based The End Records as they gear up for the release of In Ruin on January 8th. Their fourth overall studio record, Ruin was co-produced by the band and Chris Stringer (Rush, Timber Timbre) at the Lincoln County Social Club recording studio in Toronto; the band’s old stomping grounds from previous albums.
In Ruin is 9-tracks of head-banging, modernized, classic Heavy Metal beginning with “No Return,” a high-tempo song with nice riffs and an energetic drumbeat that ratchets up further as the track continues, bringing memories of old Metallica, before closing with some simple cords. Next, “Empress” is a slightly slower, brooding melody with a hypnotic riff, again, seeming to channel Metallica, before breaking into a slight speed riff before returning the hypnotic riff as the drums drive. As quickly as the track begins, it ends dead. Moving onto “Burning at Both Ends,” the track enters on a hearty strum that turns into a choppy riff accompanied with energetic drums. As the song opens, the melody starts to shine in an anthemic vibe with lyrics juxtaposed of getting burned out.
Moving on, “Hold Your Fire” grinds in, and keeps the aggression throughout with the drums filling. The hook has a kind of galloping cadence mixed with a melodic bit as the lyrics sing of pacifism. The rocker, “Come Not Here,” has a Dokken-esque melody with an “Enter Sandman”-esque cadence to some of the early lyric delivery as the guitar drives, giving the song a pretty good clip. “Santa Mira” is bass-driven, then, the guitars sear in as Decay begins singing. This track is an ode to the fictional California town used in films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982).
Keeping the listener’s’ interest, “Corridors of Dust” is an urgent song with alternating riffs (mid, fast, mid) that bookends the track with the urgent galloping riff, that harkens to Heart’s “Barracuda,” between. Deck’s drums drive said urgency as Decay seems to be singing about buried memories. “Delusive Serenade” is an instrumental that starts acoustic with dreamy, dark overtones before turning into a serious Rock anthem with piled riffs and rhythm guitars weaving in and out of each other while the drums drive, hold back, drive, and follow the piece home on a bit of distortion. Finishing In Ruin is “Outrance,” a head-banging rocker with speed guitars and up-tempo drums in this finale of smoke and mirrors. Midway, Chains channels Randy Rhoads with a spectacular solo that gives the fret a run for its money.
Cauldron has made another memorable offering with In Ruin grinding, riffing, even with a detour down one of Horror’s most famous cities in the continental US, but then throwing in metalhead’s dream with “Delusive Serenade,” and then, waking them up to send them to replay the album again. Those looking for true to the heart Heavy Metal must check these guys out if they have not already done so. CrypticRock gives Cauldron’s In Ruin 5 of 5 stars.
- The End Records
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