Our metal mediator Gary Lee is back, this time bringing the prog with the loud and dynamic duo Cave Of Swimmers and their self released EP, Reflection.
Cave Of Swimmers are a progressive metal duo based out of Miami, Florida. The duo, consisting of Venezuelan born GE Pereze and Toro, have been jamming together in various projects since their early teens. But it has only been since making the move to America that things have really come together for the pair. Their brand of jam band progressive metal has helped them carve out a dedicated following in the Eastern region of the US and now they are set to take their release, Reflection, globally.
The 4 track EP clocks in at 33 minutes, providing a look at their Latin infused take on the genre. Structurally, the EP is arguably a little off; two long tracks, both around the 10 minute mark-taking up more than half of the EPs length, then followed by two short tracks. Personally I feel this may be asking a lot from people who have never heard you before, for them to sit and listen to you for 20 minutes without knowing what to expect. It feels like a long investment, especially in today's 'impress me now' culture.
However, once you get past that barrier CoS are a fine duo. The first track from the EP and the lead song from it. The Prince Of The Power Of The Air, opens with a rather silky sounding synth line, guitars building up the tension before a crushing riff kicks the song open. Straight away the riff reminds me of some of the big blues/sludge riffs employed by the likes of Mastodon, a hypnotic head-nodding rhythm that has an amazing amount of presence. The drums do what is needed, nothing ventured, nothing gained but in this case nothing feels lacking. The track has a nice psychedelia inspired bridge complete with Latin drums. Vocally, CoS have an interesting operatic style that wouldn't be out of place alongside the voices of some of the European power metal giants. Yet, there are times when it feels out of place here, which is a constant gripe throughout the entire release. I personally feel that at times the vocals lack the gravel, grit and machismo that the bluesy riffs have and it can be a little jarring. A smidgen of aggression in the vocals would take these songs to new heights.
Nowhere is this more apparent then in the opening of The Skull. The song opens with a stoner metal riff through and through, low, riffy and slow, it's simply a wonderful riff. However, it eventually drops out and we are treated to more impressive, albeit out of place, operatic singing. The Skull does also show how well the singing can work though, with its Iron Maiden-esque chorus where the vocals take a less operatic approach and are replaced with a classic rock style falsetto much in the vein of Maiden's frontman, Bruce Dickinson.
Still Running, lives up to its name as it comes out of the gate with a relentless, almost thrash-like pace. The chorus has a catchy lyrical hook. "In my mind I'm still running/In my mind I am still free." This is complemented by a memorable proggy bridge, which once again has a fantastically Latin flavour. The album closes with the progressive instrumental Reflections, where the duo get to show off their musicianship.
Overall, Cave Of Swimmers are an interesting duo with a lot of upside. The pair are clearly talented musicians, they have a unique sound and are offering something interesting and new within their genre which will go a long way to helping them widen their fan base and find musical success. However, as I mentioned the vocals are a small gripe, although I realise this is a personal preference thing and in my opinion the riffs more than make up for it anyway. In closing if you are a fan of prog, or riffs then I would recommend checking this one out.
Article by Gary Lee (@thewheelbear)
To purchase Reflection, please visit the Cave Of Swimmers Bandcamp page, found here
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