While still somewhat revolutionary as an idea, since the release of Sleep’s seminal doom symphony Dopesmoker, it’s become increasingly common to see bands attempt a ‘one-track album’ – the likes of Fantômas and Bongripper to name but two.
Now, Richmond, Virginia’s Inter Arma can be added to that illustrious list. Created and captured during breaks between touring last year’s monumental Sky Burial, The Cavern demonstrates a broader development of the myriad musical territories covered on that 2013 opus, while weaving a similarly compelling and divergent narrative. In between churning surges of synth drone that pull you in and the punishing and cathartic, Neurosis-like stomp that nails the lid down around the 45-minute mark, willing participants are invited to journey through moments of rather narcotic Americana and an almost early Mastodon-like, warped take on Southern-fried rock. However, the expected moments of rabid black metal frenzy are conspicuous by their absence.
Via Relapse
