Caveat
Alchemy

When reading the press material it looks like Calgary band Caveat can have lots to offer; the cover looks good, I read that they are the now longest active metal band from Alberta, and they end the press sheet by claiming that we should expect the unexpected. If the last statement is correct it would be great, as I always want the unexpected when I listen to a new album, and it starts fairly promising. Since the previous album they have added a permanent female voice to balance the more growly male vocals, that isn’t very common in a progressive thrash metal band. But is that enough for us to really expect the unexpected?

Well, it probably depends on your outlook and familiarity with metal in general, I didn’t feel like I was surprised when listening to this album. Though I didn’t expect anything as it is my first contact with the band. The dynamics between the growls and female vocals are not really there, and the same about the general dynamics in the songs and album. It starts fairly typical prog, then it goes more extreme, following a not that unfamiliar pattern that feels borrowed from other bands. The sound is a bit flatter than I would have wanted it to be, if they had played more with contrasts between the lighter and darker it may have produced a more interesting outcome in that regard. And while the songs are few, they are all fairly long between just shy of six minutes to slightly over eight and a half minute – all songs should have been shorter.

There are two ways to look at it, the album is acceptable, you can listen to the songs and they give an okay impression so you can claim that the album is fine – and perhaps it is. You can also see it as a bit disappointing considering that it doesn’t really make you leap or stop in the stride to take notice – it is just an album amongst many others. A forgettable piece that would have needed a strong hit song, less predictable sounds – and maybe they should have gone for an album where you should expect the unexpected, and not just another band trying the typical elements from various metal genres. As someone who hears many albums and many genres, I can say that there are bands that comes up with the unexpected, but like the vast majority in the metal genre these guys seem content with average.

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