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Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews

Cauldron Into the Cauldron Review by Gary Hill This release of music from Canadian metal band Cauldron is great stuff. It includes their 2007 debut EP along with two bonus tracks from the same year. It's all been remastered, and digipack includes a great booklet packed full of notes and photos. These guys really unleashed some powerhouse metal on this. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2022 Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2022.

Track by Track Review

The Striker Strikes They waste no time, firing out into some fierce metal jamming right out of the gate. This has some meaty guitar riffs and a lot of NWOBHM sound in the mix. There are some really cool bass bits on the track. This makes me think of early Metallica to some degree. It's a killer opener.

Into the Cauldron This is even more fierce than the previous tune was. It's packed with some particularly meaty guitar riffs.

Restless Starting with a cool preliminary riff, this eventually makes its way to an even stronger metal screaming sound. The vocals on this work really well. This is one of the strongest pieces here, really. This has one of the most infectious choruses of the disc, too. Metallica is a valid reference on this number, too.

Torture's Too Kind Meaner and more furious, this is another powerhouse. It's not one of my favorites here, though. It just doesn't seem to gel quite as well as some of the others. Still, the ferocity is a selling point of the piece. The change to a faster tempo is a cool touch, too.

Bonus Tracks:

Axe Cross The furious bass work on this is on fire. The whole tune has a great thrash metal energy and sound. The instrumental section on this is so intense.

Making Noise And Drinking Beer Here we get a cover of a song from Tyrant. There is a bit of a parental advisory on the banter sort of introduction to this song. The cut fires out with a fierce metal sound from there. This is another winner on a disc full of strong music.

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