CAULDRON - review added 23rd December 2010
Album Review: Burning Fortune (2011)
For fans of: Heavy Metal... and ladies draped near wheels
Canadian three-piece act Cauldron - Jason Decay on bass and vocals, Ian Chains on guitar, and Chris Steve on drums were formed in the mid 2000s from the ashes of another Canadian metal act Goat Horn. Since their inception, they've released the "Into the Cauldron EP" in 2007, and their debut full length "Chained to the Nite" in 2009.
"Burning Fortune", the band's second LP, features a raw 1980s heavy metal sound boasting scant production and little in the way of nods to the modern musical world.
Good:
For it's faults (which we'll get to in a minute) "Burning Fortune" is kind of entertaining...assuming you can get past its rawness. The songs barrel along at a rate of knots, the musical performances are good, and for anybody whose tastes are stuck in the past this'll give a real buzz.
Not So Good:
The vocals are not great...although I have to admit their odd characterisations are growing on me. The production is retro for retro's sake, and that's just annoying. If a record sounds cheap because that's all the band could afford, that's one thing. This album actually sounds like it has received loads of work just to make it sound authentic - i.e. there's a certain artificiality to it's old school charms.
The Songs:
'Tears Have Come' is a country mile of everything else. It's a really catchy hard rock with a pleasant melodious underbelly. 'Miss You To Death' is the only other track which captures the imagination, although to be fair some of the rhythms in 'Taken By Desire' are awesome.
In Summation:
If "Burning Fortune" had come out 25+ years ago it would have been great and garnered a clutch of positive reviews. Today, although it is entertaining, it's merely a slab of (admittedly quite decent) retro titillation.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall:
Check out... Track 4
Track List:
01. All Or Nothing
02. Miss You To Death
03. Frozen In Fire
04. Tears Have Come
05. I Confess
06. Rapid City/Unchained Assault
07. Queen Of Fire
08. Breaking Through
09. Taken By Desire
10. Serpent Sorceress
Label: Earache Records
Artist's website(s): Cauldron | MySpace | Facebook
