Heavy Pendulum＜Colored Vinyl＞

The veteran Massachusetts-based rockers first proper set of new studio recordings in a decade -- 2019s largely stitched-together Final Transmission served as a potent eulogy for fallen bassist Caleb Scofield -- the Relapse-issued Heavy Pendulum is a robust and relentlessly creative beast that distills all of Cave-Ins influences into sonic totality. The groups inaugural outing with Converge bassist/screamer Nate Newton, the generously stacked 14-song set has its highlights but achieves maximum fluidity when consumed in a single sitting. Aptly named opener "New Reality" sets a blistering pace, pairing blazing riffs and larynx-shredding declarations of intent with moments of pure stadium rock splendor. Employing a wide-ranging amalgam of brooding post-grunge and "Creeping Death"-era Metallica thrash, Heavy Pendulum is stocked with a generous amount of slow-burning midtempo pieces. "Blinded by a Blaze," "Reckoning," and the title cut are anchored in the expansive sludge/doom emissions of guitarist/clean vocalist Stephen Brodskys Old Man Gloom project, while the Sabbath-leaning "Blood Spiller" feels more in line with his work in Mutoid Man and Converge. Its the latter groups presence that casts the longest shadow, especially on more progressive-minded fare like the epic 12-minute closer "Wavering Angel." Heavy Pendulum could have been a slog, but the band is so invested that even its most meandering moments feel vital. Cave-In have crafted a dense, lengthy (over 70 minutes), and rewarding work thats both mindful of the past and focused on the horizon. ~ James Christopher Monger